Black and White magic of Bahla

Once day, I went in Bahla with my family. And  I didn’t know  anything  about that place. For me, It was new place, new story, new people. But I hear  from one of my friend  real story about Bahla. There is a lot of place in Oman, but in Bahla is most popular place of witchcraft, jinn and others things.

Many people know about that place but they keep secret for them are taboo what happen there. But for me is interesting  such place to discover them, to know them,  but you need to be carefully. If you are strong in your faith nothing will happening with you.

From that day, I went many times with my family but I forgot about the stories about jinni and about black and white magical. Now, I read and I listen a lot of stories about them and I want to share with you.

I don’t know to believe or not believe in this stories. But if you want to know about Jinn and witchcraft, the best Surah is  in the Qur'an to protect you. In the Qur'an, he explains a lot about these things. It is a whole Surah Jinn that tells the whole story about their existence. They are Jinn, good spirits and evil spirits, who live next to us humans.

Before to talk about this, I want to talk about real experience in Bahla, Oman. For those wanting to experience the real Oman, Bahla, is the place to be. Traditional in every aspect, Bahla and its lush environs  have many tales to tell. The Bahla town, famous for its ancient for and its pottery, is 40km away from Nizwa. The old Bahla Fort with its 12 km wall is the oldest fort in Oman. The fort is believed to have been  built in pre-Islamic times and is now undergoing reconstruction sponsored by UNESCO and the site is included  on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.

Bahla is almost triangular in shape and is surrounded by rocky outcrops and trench like gullies.

The Wilayat of Bahla’s old souq, which has retained  its original character, is still a busy market today and sells Omani products as well as imported goods. The  tree in the middle of the souq is hundreds of years old.

A short distance beyond Bahla lies the imposing Castle of Jabreen. This massive three storied castle was built during Al Yaruba dynasty in the mid 1600’s. It is fine example of Islamic architecture with beautiful  wooden  inscriptions and paintings on the ceilings.

The pride distance  beyond Bahla is occupied by the potters and their exceptional art. Pottery is famous  throughout  Oman,  and is in great demand from  tourists . Intricate designs, some of which have been  passed  on though  the generations and have local  significance, are  etched  on to the necks and bodies of these  pots.

Bahla  is one of the oldest towns in the Sultanate. Archeologists working on an excavation programme in Bisya an al  Ghubrah  discovered  sites dating from the third millennium  BC,  while an old falaj found at al Ghubrah –in Wadi Bahla is also believed to date from the third millennium BC.

The Wilayat of Bahla borders on the wilayats of Nizwa to the east, Ibri  to the west, Adam  to the south and al Hamra to the north.

With a population of 51,278 and, variety  of natural features including  wadis, springs and mountains, its villages  include  Bilad Sait, al Ghafat, Bisya, Seefam,  al Habbi, al  Mamur and numerous others. The best  known of its  wadis are Wadi  Quriyat, Wadi A’la, Wadi  Al Nakhr, Wadi Al Shar’ and Wadi Bahla, and its springs include Wadhadhah,  al Huwaidhar and Ain Seefam.

The mountain  of Jabal al Kawr with its shrubs and fruit trees is one of the wilayat’s most  distinctive mountains and lies on the border between the Dakhiliyah and Dhahirah regions. From a distance  it looks  like a huge dome. There are several villages, caves, wadis and springs on its slopes including the villages of  Sint, Ma’wal, Sant and al Rahbah.

It is an attractive area for tourists because of its gentle climate,  clear air and fragrant trees, and  visitors can enjoy the opportunity  to marvel  at its amazing rock formations, particularly along the course of Wadi al Naht.

In second part I will tell you about the magic’s story white and black, jinn and witchcraft. In first part, I talked about history of Bahla, because it has some connection between each other.

     Write by Bogus Elena

Doar un vis

Eram îmbrăcată într-o rochie elegantă de culoarea turcoazului, parcă mă pregăteam  să mă duc la o petrecere, un bal sau o nuntă. Se apropie de mine un bărbat înalt și frumos, îmbrăcat la costum și papion. Îmi zămbește foarte frumos își arată simpatia față de mine. Eu parcă sunt măritată.  Nui nimic măritatul poate să aștepte, gestul bărbatului mă face fericită. 

Întinde mână, și în mână avea o cutie cu un inel de aur. Îl scoate și mi-l pune pe deget.  Mâna mea era îmbrăcată cu o mănușă albă de catifea, iar pe degetele mele multe inele de aur și argint.  

După câteva secunde îmi aduce un coș mare de trandafirii roșii.  Un miros plăcut se lăsase în cameră. Mă simt în al noulea cer de fericire, nimeni până acum nu mi-a adus așa cadouri. Măcar în vis să fiu fericită și iubită de cineva.

Te trezești cu o stare bună de despoziție. Nu lași pe nimeni să strice euforia de dimineață.

                                                                       Scris de Bogus Elena

Monologue

 Irina: Where am I? What's here? What's wrong with me here? Why is it still white? Why are the windows behind bars? What am I doing here? How did I get here? Why am I tied to the bed? Let me go? Listen, let me go !? Don't keep me tied up! Why are you keeping me tied up? I'm suffocating! I don't like where I am? Hey can you hear me? Where am I? Hey, those behind the door, can you hear me? What am I doing here? I do not understand?! Like I had a family ?! What happened to her ?! What a soft bed. Shake me as much as I can, because after that, who knows, where will these beasts take me?

My hands and feet hurt from these straps. I can not move. Oh, how soft the bed is, and I can jump on it!

Piss on me, let me go ?! Can anyone hear me ?!

Title: At the door of the room, two men enter in white, untangling her hands and feet. She pushes them. The two force her not to hurt herself and to escape.

Irina: Let me go! Can you hear me? I'm not crazy. I have a husband and a child at home waiting for me. I have to go to work. The boss has to fire me.

Title: The two take her to another room. They are cold, indifferent to her. He left her in the dark, white room, with bars on the window, a bed, a table, and a chair. He locks her in the room and leaves.

Irina gets on the bed, jumps on him, and shouts.

Irina: Huţa-Huţa, Mami Huţa! How good, I swing ?! Tra-la-la-la. I am not afraid of anyone, not of them, not of demons, not of angels.

Title: Irina stops.

Irina: Open my door !! Let me go, I'm not crazy. I want out, I have a husband and a baby.

Man's voice: Hey Irina wake up, it was a nightmare, a nightmare. Lineşteşte you !! Calm down my dear !!

Irina: Where am I?

Male voice: In our bed at home.

Irina: Where's the baby?

Male Voice: Sleeping in his crib.

Monolog

 Irina : Unde sunt? Ce-i aici? Ce-i cu mine aici? De ce tot e alb? De ce geamurile sunt în gratii? Ce caut aici? Cum am ajuns aici? De ce sunt legată de pat? Daţi-mi drumul ? Auzi-ţi, daţi-mi drumul!? Nu mă ţineţi legată! De ce mă ţineţi legată? Mă sufoc! Nu-mi place, unde sunt? Hei mă auziţi careva? Unde mă aflu? Hei, cei după uşă, careva mă auziţi ? Ce caut aici? Nu înţeleg?! Parcă aveam familie?! Ce s-a întâmplat cu ea?! Vai ce pat moale. Să mă legăn cât pot, că după aia, cine ştie,  unde mă vor duce, dobitocii aştia?

Mă dor mâinile şi picioarele de la curelele astea. Nu mă pot mişca. Vai ce e moale patul şi pot să sar pe el !

Mă piş pe mine, daţi-mi drumul?! Mă auziţi careva ?!

Didascalie : Pe uşa camerei, intră doi bărbaţi în alb, o dezleagă de mâini şi de picioare. Ea îi împinge. Cei doi o ţin cu forţă să nu-şi facă rău şi să scape.

Irina: Daţi-mi drumul!  Mă auziţi? Nu sunt nebună. Am un soţ şi un copil acasă, care mă aşteaptă. Trebuie să mă duc la muncă. Şeful are să mă dea afară.

Didascalie : Cei doi o duc în altă cameră. Sunt reci, indiferenţi de ea. O lasa în camera albă şi obscură, cu gratii la geam, un pat, o masă şi un scaun. O încuie în cameră şi pleacă.

Irina se urcă pe pat, sare pe el, şi strigă.

Irina:  Huţa-Huţa, Mami Huţa! Ce bine, mă leagăn?! Tra-la-la-la. Nu mă tem de nimeni, nici de ei, nici de demoni, nici de îngeri.

Didascalie :  Irina se opreşte.

Irina : Deschideţi-mi uşa!! Daţi-mi  drumul, nu sunt nebună. Vreau afară, am un soţ şi copil.

Vocea Bărbatului : Hey Irina trezeşte-te, a fost un coşmar, un vis urât. Lineşteşte-te!! Lineşteşte-te draga mea!!

Irina: Unde mă aflu?

Vocea  bărbătească : În patul nostru de acasă.

Irina : Unde-i copilul?

Vocea Bărbatească : Doarme în pătuţul lui.

  

                               Monolog scris de Elena Bogus

P.S. Acest Monolog a fost scris in cadrul atelierului de dramaturgie.

One autumn day!

 It was late autumn, when that serious accident happened to me. I left work and hurried to the trolley station. Mihaela caught up with me and shouted at me.

- Ioana, wait, I have something to tell you. Do you know that tomorrow you have to present the project given by last week's boss?

- I did not know!

- Tomorrow the boss comes to check on your project.

Will you be able to do it by tomorrow?

- What time should it be ready?

- You have to present it tomorrow at 12:00.

- Ok! I'll do my best to get it ready.

I'm going home to finish working on it.

- Good! Bye, see you tomorrow!

- Bye!!

 It was getting dark outside, I was thinking about the project. I had seen in the distance a trolley in which I was to get on, and I was really glad. I wanted to pick him up as soon as possible so I wouldn't have to wait at the station. I had no patience, I was nervous and tired, and besides, with a project on my head.

I reached the pedestrian crossing and started to cross the street resolutely, without paying attention to the traffic. Only halfway in front of me, a black car appeared at high speed. That's how I was hit by a BMW in the middle of the street. I don't think I felt much, because I disconnected on the spot like any technical device unplugged.

I woke up in the hospital. Surrounded by doctors who consulted me. I couldn't feel my body, and that worried me. I began to shake, rolling my eyes like a bird in a cage. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, my legs weren't moving, I thought then that I would stay in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.

I didn't know where I got that strength to be able to shake my whole body. The doctors were holding me tight so they could see me.

I saw my clothes torn and full of blood. That made me more anxious. I didn't understand what was happening to me at the time. I didn't remember at all. What I was looking for there and where I was.

I told myself it was serious, I didn't feel my body at all. Everything was numb. I was in constant anxiety. I was trying to figure out what the doctors were saying, but I didn't understand what I was hearing, I could only see the lights above, and I understood that I was walking down a long hospital corridor, and my body was shaking in places as I crossed the threshold.

That day, I was taken to all sorts of control defenses, a dozen procedures and consultations. After a thorough investigation, they took me to my living room, injected me with a sedative. I tried to hold on, but the sedatives I received automatically closed my eyelids. I was not told anything that day, what I have and what my condition is. I fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up, my mother was sitting next to my bed. It was the day after he was hospitalized.

I felt my body heavy and cloudy. Nothing hurt. It was as if everything was numb. I was trying to remember what happened to me. I couldn't remember anything, just snippets of moments I still couldn't put together.

I wanted to move my legs, but I couldn't do that either, only my hands could feel them and I could hardly move them.

After my attempts to feel my hands, my mother woke up. She was happy and glad I woke up. I was no longer in a critical condition, everything was better, at least that's what the doctors said because I felt bad anyway.

They had begun to ask me how I was feeling. Ask me if I remember what happened to me. If I remember the accident.

I replied that I felt bad, did not feel anything and did not remember the accident.

I had asked my mother what had happened to me and what my condition was. My mother was happy that I was alive, and she had reassured me. He did not answer my questions. The doctor had advised him to wait a few days, not to say anything, until I recovered.

In the first days after the accident, a man had come and I did not understand or imagine what a stranger was looking for in me. The man had apologized and told me that all material damage would be borne by Him. I didn't understand what he wanted from me. Who is this He who wanted to do me so much good?

After He left, I asked my mother who the individual was. My mother told me that boy was the man who injured me. He came to the hospital every day to inquire about my condition.

-Wait for You to forgive him. He feels guilty about you, my mother said.

"I forgave him a long time ago for what he did to you," my mother had told me. Poor man, he has common sense and humanity. Who nowadays to come to the hospital and apologize?

 I hated this man for what he did to me, he destroyed my life. I couldn't forgive him, at least not at that moment.

I told him in front of me that I would never forgive him for everything he had done to me. The poor man turned and left sadly.

I felt helpless and afraid that I would be crippled for life.

When one day a group of doctors personally confirmed my health, the sky fell on me. At that moment I wanted to die. And then who will marry a girl with health problems like mine?

From what I understood from the doctors, I had a concussion, with multiple injuries all over my body and a pelvic fracture.

But we'll get you on your feet quickly, said my doctor with a calm smile on his face that didn't convince me much. The man who injured me came to my house every day to see my condition and asked my mother how the treatment was going, he didn't have the courage to talk to me because he knew I hated him and I would never forgive him. At least I was convinced at the time.

As the wounds passed, my condition gradually healed, but my soul was still wounded. I didn't understand why this was happening to me. I was angry with God and those around me. They tried to be optimistic, to understand me, and I was constantly upset, nervous and sad.

One day, the doctor told me that I would be discharged from the hospital the next day, which seemed even more depressing to me, because I thought everyone would look at me with pity. No one cared about me, nor did my co-workers come to visit me or take an interest in my health. The friend I had left me. He didn't need a sick girl like me.

Only my parents and the man who destroyed my life passed me by.

 How can I be so bad with him and not forgive him? I thought to myself later when I was already used to his presence in our house. He is human and makes mistakes. We are all imperfect.

That's when I started to understand a lot of things, from that moment it made me change for the better. When Gabriel came out of the hospital, I found out from my mother that this was the name of the driver who injured me. He drove me to my parents' car. I was in a wheelchair. I hardly spoke at all.

He put me in the back seat and closed the door, then left. Then I opened the window glass and shouted at him.

"Come to us, I have something to tell you," I said, then raised the window.

Since then, Gabriel has been coming to us practically every day. We got very close to each other, my parents often invited us to dinner.

I can say that luck has come upon me, Gabriel has become a loving husband who takes care of me. I changed my life, my job, into a better one, with a higher salary, with a more responsible position and of course according to my physical ability.

We made real friends that we meet in the city to have fun. I fully recovered, and at the moment I walk without a wheelchair, without crutches, I walk on two legs like a normal person.

I have completely changed, I look different, my friends say I have become more beautiful and serene. But the most beautiful thing the Most High has given me is that I am pregnant and I will realize my dream of becoming a mother.

Thanks to fate for arranging that accident.

                                                    Write by Bogus Elena

Intr-o zi de toamna !

  Era o toamnă târzie, când mi s-a întâmplat acel accident grav. Am ieşit de la serviciu  şi  mă îndreptam grăbită spre staţia de troleu. M-a ajuns din urmă Mihaela şi m-a strigat.

-         Ioana, stai că am ceva să-ţi spun.Ştii că mâine trebuie să prezinţi proiectul dat de şef de săptămână trecută?

-         Nu ştiam!

-         Mâine şeful vine să verifice proiectul tău.

Vei reuşi până mâine să-l faci?

-         La ce oră trebuie să fie gata ?

-         Mâine la 12:00 trebuie să-l prezinţi.

-         Ok! Am să fac tot posibilul să fie gata.

Merg acasă să termin de lucrat la el.

-         Bine! Pa, ne vedem mâine !

-         Pa!!

 Afara începuse să se întunece, eu eram cu gândul la proiect. Văzusem de la distanţă troleu în care urma să mă urc şi chiar mă bucurasem. Vroiam să-l iau  cât mai repede, ca să nu stau în staţie să aştept. Nu aveam răbdare, eram nervoasă şi obosită, şi pe lângă asta cu un  proiect pe capul meu.

Am ajuns la trecerea de pietoni şi am început să traversez strada cu hotărâre, fără a fi atentă la trafic. La numai jumătate de drum în faţa mea a apărut cu viteză mare o maşină de culoare neagră. Aşa în plină stradă am fost lovită de un BMW. Cred ca nu am simţit prea multe, pentru că m-am deconectat pe loc ca orice aparat tehnic scos din priză.

M-am trezit la spital. Înconjurată de medicii care mă consultau. Nu îmi  simţeam corpul, iar asta m-a îngrijorat. Începusem să mă agit, rotind ochii ca o pasăre într-o colivie. Nu înţelegeam ce-i cu mine, picioarele nu se mişcau, am crezut atunci că voi rămâne în scaunul cu rotile pentru toată viaţa.

Nu ştiam de unde aveam acea forţă să mă  pot agita din tot corpul. Medicii mă ţineau strâns ca să mă poată consulta .

Mi-am văzut hainele rupte şi pline de sânge. Asta m-a făcut să fiu mai neliniştită. Nu înţelegeam ce se petrecea cu mine în acel moment. Nu-mi aduceam aminte deloc. Ce căutam acolo şi unde eram.

În sinea mea îmi ziceam că e grav, nu-mi simţeam corpul deloc. Totul era amorţit. Eram într-o nelineşte continuă. Încercam să desluşesc ce spun medicii dar nu înţelegeam ce auzeam, vedeam numai lumini deasupra şi înţelegeam că merg printr-un coridor lung de spital, iar corpul îmi era zgalţîit pe alocuri cand treceam praguri.

În aceea zi, am fost dusă la tot felul de apărate de control, o duzină de proceduri şi consultaţii. După ce m-au investigat  amănunţit, m-au dus în salonul meu, mi-au injectat cu calmant. Încercam să mă ţin, dar sedativele primite îmi închideau automat ploapele.  Nu mi s-a spus nimic în acea zi, ce am şi ce-i cu starea mea. Am adormit imediat.

Cand m-am trezit, lângă patul meu statea mama.  Era a doua zi de la spitalizare.

Îmi simţeam corpul greu şi tulbure. Nu mă durea nimic. Parcă totul amorţise. Încercam să-mi amintesc, ce s-a întâmplat cu mine. Nu puteam să-mi amintesc nimic, doar frînturi de momente pe care deocamdată nu reuşeam să le unesc.

Vroiam să-mi mişc picioarele, dar nici asta  nu puteam, doar mâinile le puteam simţi  şi le puteam mişca cu greu.

După încercările mele de a simţi mâinele, s-a trezit şi mama. Era fericită şi bucuroasă că m-am trezit. Nu mai eram intr-o starea critică, totul era mai bine, cel puţin aşa spuneau doctorii pentru că eu oricum mă simţeam rău.

Începuseră să mă întrebe cum mă simt. Să mă întrebe dacă îmi aduc aminte ce s-a întâmplat cu mine. Dacă îmi amintesc de accident.

I-am răspuns că mă simt rău, nu simt nimic şi nu-mi aduc aminte de accident.

O întrebasem pe mama ce s-a întâmplat cu mine şi care era starea mea. Mama era fericită că eram vie şi cu aceasta mă liniştise şi pe mine. Nu mi-a răspuns la întrebările mele. Medicul îi recomandase să aştepte  câteva zile, să nu-mi zică nimic, până nu îmi reveneam.

În primele zile după accident venise un bărbat şi nu înţelegeam, nici nu îmi închipuiam ce caută un străin la mine. Omul îşi ceruse scuze şi mi-a spus că toate daunele  materiale vor fi suportate de El. Nu înţelegeam ce vroia el de la mine. Cine e acest El, care voia sa-mi facă atîta bine?

După ce El a plecat, am întrebat-o pe mama, cine era individul. Mama mi-a spus că acel băiat era omul care m-a accidentat. El venea în fiecare zi, la spital să se intereseze de starea mea.

-Aşteaptă ca Tu să-l ierţi. Se simte vinovat faţă de tine, a spus mama.

- Eu l-am iertat de mult pentru ce ţi-a făcut ţie, îmi spusese mama. Bietul bărbat, are bun simţ şi omenie. Că cine în zilele noastre să vină la spital şi să-şi  ceară scuze?

 Eu faţă de acest om simţeam o ură mare pentru ce mi-a făcut mie, mi-a distrus viaţa. Nu îl puteam ierta, cel puţin nu l acel moment.

Îi ziceam în faţă că nu îl voi ierta niciodată pentru tot ce mi-a făcut. Bietul om se întorcea şi pleca trist.

În sinea mea simţeam neputinţă şi frică că voi rămâne infirmă pe viaţă.

Când într-o zi un grup de medici mi-a confirmat personal starea mea de sănătate, mi-a căzut cerul peste mine. În acel moment vroiam să mor. Şi apoi cine se va căsători cu o fată cu probleme de sănătate ca ale mele?

Din câte am înţeles de la medici, avusem o comoţie cerebrală, cu răni multiple pe tot corpul şi o fractură la bazin.

Dar noi te vom pune repede pe picioare, a spus doctorul meu cu un surîs calm pe faţă care pe mine nu prea m-a convins.  Bărbatul care m-a accidentat venea în fiecare zi pe la mine, să vadă care e starea mea şi o întreba pe mama cum  trece tratamentul, nu avea curajul să vorbească cu mine pentru că ştia că îl urăsc şi nu îl voi ierta niciodată. Cel puţin eram convinsă la acel moment.

Pe zi ce trecea rănile se vindecau încetul cu încetul starea mea era favorabilă, însă sufletul meu încă era rănit. Nu înţelegeam de ce tocmai mie mi s-a întâmplat asta. Eram supărat pe Dumnezeu şi pe cei din jurul meu. Ei au încercat să fie optimişti, să mă înţeleagă, iar eu eram în permanenţă supărată, nervoasă şi tristă.

Într-o zi, medicul m-a anunţat că voi fi externată din spital a doua zi, ceea ce mie  mi s-a părut  şi mai depresiv, deoarece credeam că toţi se vor uita la mine cu milă. Nimănui nu i-a păsat de mine, nici colegii mei de serviciu nu au venit să mă viziteze sau să se intereseze de starea mea de sănătate. Prietenul pe care îl aveam m-a părăsit. El nu avea nevoie de o fată bolnavă ca mine.

Numai părinţi mei şi omul acela care mi-a distrus viaţa mai trecea pe la mine. 

 Cum pot să fiu aşa de rea cu el şi să nu îl iert? Mi-am zis eu într-un tîrziu când deja mă obişnuisem cu prezenta lui în casa noastră.  Este om şi face greşeli.Toţi suntem imperfecţi.

Atunci începusem să înţeleg multe lucruri, din acel moment m-a făcut să mă schimb înspre bine. La ieşirea mea din spital a venit Gabriel, am aflat de la mama că aşa îl chema pe şoferul care m-a accidentat. M-a condus până la maşină părinţilor mei. Eram în scaunul cu rotile. Nu am vorbit aproape deloc.

M-a aşezat pe bancheta de spate şi a închis uşa, apoi a pleacat. Apoi am deschis geamul de la fereastră şi l-am strigat.

-         Veniţi pe la noi, am ceva să vă spun, am zis, apoi am ridicat geamul.

De atunci  Gabriel  venea  practic în fiecare zi pe la noi. Ne-am apropiat mult unul de celălalt, părinţi mei îl invitau des la noi la cină.

Pot să zic că a dat norocul peste mine, Gabriel a devenit un soţ iubitor,  care are grijă de mine. Mi-am schimbat viaţa, locul de muncă, într-un unul mai bun, cu salariu mai mare, cu o funcţie mai responsabilă şi desigur după posibilitatea mea fizică.

Mi-am făcut prieteni adevăraţi cu care ne întâlnim în oraş pentru a ne distra. Mi-am revenit complet, iar la moment merg fără scaun cu rotile, fără cârje, merg în două picioare ca un om normal.

M-am schimbat complet, arăt altfel, prietenii zic ca am devenit mai frumoasă şi mai senină. Dar cel mai frumos lucru care mi-a dat Cel de Sus este că sunt însărcinată şi îmi voi realiza visul de a deveni mamă.

Îi mulţumesc sorţii că a organizat acel accident.

 Primul text scris de mine!! Scris de Bogus Elena!!

Traditional Omani food

A good friend of mine gave me a very good suggestion to write about traditional Omani food. In another article, I started writing about traditional Omani food served at weddings and engagements. Now I will talk about the traditional Omani food that is served daily at meals and religious holidays, such as Eid, Ramadan, funerals and other important events.

But for starters I will start with an intro about some information that you will find and what you will not find in the menu of restaurants in Oman. The food in Oman is delicious and what leaves your mouth watering after you taste it. You can't stop it after you taste it, meat or rice flavored with different spices. The cuisine is a mixture of dishes from different regions such as India, Europe and America etc. However, unfortunately, alcohol and pork are banned in Islam. Alcohol and pork are not sold in shops and hotels. However, some hotel restaurants have bars for foreigners.

Oman is a wonderful vacation spot. The delicious and improving food, the warm and hospitable nature of the people invented with a lot of activities, events and festivals make this place a tourist magnet and ensure that tourists return with pleasant memories of this country.

Oman hosts wonderful landscapes, beautiful beaches, dazzling deserts and wonderful waterfalls. Oman is truly a charming country, and the food here is fantastic.

Who doesn't like to taste a delicious and beautifully prepared cuisine? Oman hosts some of the most delicious dishes in the world. The main ingredients used in the main dishes are rice and fish, rice with chicken or beef, marinated with exclusive spices, such as Qabuli with lamb or Biryani lamb, Djaj Foug El-Eish.

Similarly, succulent dishes consist of homos chicken and some vegetables, muscat-style maqboos, battena-style chicken kabuli and chicken arsiya.

I would like to talk about traditional Omani cuisine. Omani cuisine is influenced by Arabic, Iranian, Indian, Asian, Eastern Mediterranean and African cuisine, which reflects Oman's position as a vast trading empire at the intersection of traditional spice trade routes.

The dishes are often based on chicken, fish and lamb, as well as rice. Most Omani dishes tend to contain a rich mix of spices, herbs and marinades.

Omani people are well known for their hospitality and soft drinks. If you are invited to someone's house it will mean qahwa coffee, a strong, bitter drink, flavored with cardomon and dates or halwa, a sticky sweet gelatinous substance, which is made with brown sugar, eggs, honey and spices. It can be flavored with many different ingredients, such as nuts, rose water or even chocolate. Without it in the homes of locals, special events and religious holidays, weddings, engagements and funerals, is not missing.

Where will you go in Oman? Will you find Kahwa? It is the perfect representation of the famous Omani hospitality, with a full course that reflects the exceptional, warm and welcoming essence of the Omani heritage.

The kahwa offering is almost ritualistic and represents a direct representation of the warm and welcoming nature of the locals in Oman.

In addition to kahwa, Lokhemat is served, another ingredient for coffee, which are balls of flour and yeast flavored with cardamom and fried to gold, then served with cardamom syrup. The sweetness of this dish often counteracts the bitterness of kahwa.

 Kahwa is served with the right hand and is offered to the oldest to the youngest member. If they are guests then the first one is offered to the guest and then it is served to the owner of the house. Kahwa is an Oman coffee mixed with cardamom powder, often served as a symbol of hospitality. It is often served with dates and human halwa. The cups are normally only half full, and it is customary to drink three cups. Arabic coffee has a prominent place in traditional Arab holidays and special events such as Ramadan and Eid.

After serving Qahwa, switch to the actual food, depending on the food served at the table. Here I will write about the famous dishes that are usually served at lunch, the Eid holidays after Ramada and special events.

More substantial food often has rice as the main ingredient, along with cooked meat. The main daily meal is usually eaten at lunch, while dinner is lighter.

The most common dishes served at lunch are Kabsa and Makboos, it is a traditional dish of mixed rice, originating in Saudi Arabia. It is famous in the Arab world, especially in the Gulf countries, including Oman.

The food contains rice, basmati, vegetables, meat or chicken and a mixture of spices. It is sometimes served with yogurt or lettuce, traditional bread and tomato sauce. Maqbous is a kind of rice, colored yellow with saffron and cooked fish a spicy red or white meat.

Another dish is served in the house of the locals is Mashuai is a tasty fish dish. It is grilled kingfish with a special salted lemon sauce. Served with a portion of lemon rice, this dish is particularly delicious and should not be missed visit to the country. Rukhal bread is a thin, round, initially fire-baked bread made from palm leaves. It is eaten at any meal, usually served with Omani honey for breakfast or crushed over curry for dinner.

There are all kinds of bread in Oman. One of them is thick and has a large circular shape. But most often it is made and eaten with all kinds of curry is a thin bread and has the size of a small circular plate. Most locals make their own bread at home and obviously there are bakeries also popular in restaurants to be served with meals.

Another traditional Omani dish is Harees which is usually cooked for special occasions. It is what I call a simple food covered behind a facade for the simplicity of its appearance; tastes live, which will give a new dimension of understanding to the taste buds. It is easy to prepare and much tastier, given the simple ingredients needed to prepare it. It is made from wheat mixed with meat and is usually served with special sauce.

Harees are a favorite dish in the Middle East, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The preparation and choice of ingredients differs from each Arab country. Harees is a combination of boiled, cracked or coarsely ground wheat, soaked in water, combined with clarified meat butter and mutton fat, which is left overnight. It looks more like porridge when served on a plate. It is seasoned with Arabic spices and when served cinnamon and sugar is introduced to give a refined taste and fragrance.

Sakhana is a thick soup made from wheat, dates, molasses and milk, usually eaten during Ramadan.

During Ramadan, you can taste human food at the best level. Foods such as shuwa, arsia (rice lamb) and mishkak (similar to kebabs) are served mainly during the Eid holidays. Shuwa is elaborately prepared by seasoning a large piece of meat (often lamb) and wrapping it in banana leaves, sacking and then burying it in a pit above the red coals. The meat is left to cook slowly for a few days in the embers and, when unpacked, it is tender and juicy.

Arsiya is a festival meal, served during the holidays, consisting of spicy rice puree with spices. And on the first day of Eid, Arsiya (lamb with rice) is eaten, also called "mudhroub rice", arsiya is a chicken and rice paste that is eaten with fruit sauce. It tends to appear during Eid and at celebrations such as weddings. The following recipe comes from East Omani from Omer Al Aamri. Arsiya is best eaten hot. It can be reheated in a microwave, but must be consumed on the day it is cooked.

In fact, on the first day of Eid, Arsiya is eaten, and in addition to arsiya, tea is drunk. Only arsiya is eaten that day. The owners of the house buy goats, sheep or camels to prepare for the 2 days of Eid.

Meshkak also known as kebab. Meshkak is ground beef, mutton or chicken that is grilled on sticks. It is usually marinated with various spices, in especial curry, and served with human bread. This is another special dish of Omani food, which is prepared all over the country, especially on the day after Eid and other special events.

Shuwaa is served on the third day of Eid by the whole family and in other special events. Shuwaa is a food that is served only on festive occasions. To this dish put pieces of goat, sheep, cow or camel marinated in a spicy paste of dates and fried in a special oven, which is a pit dug in the ground. This is usually a communal activity of an entire village. The meat is flavored with a variety of spices, then wrapped in bags of dried leaves, which are in turn placed in the oven. Another dish that is eaten on the streets of the Middle East and around the world is Shawarmele. This tasty sandwich consists of meat with spices, wrapped in pita bread. Often eaten with french fries or garlic, shwarms are freshly prepared in the street stalls of Oman and are eaten hot.

The traditional Omani cuisine is quite simple, but by using different marinades and impregnating the meat with spices, the result is a delicious preparation that stimulates the taste. Chicken, fish and mutton are regularly used in dishes. A favorite drink is laban, a salted milk. Yogurt, cardamom and pistachio flavorings are also very popular. Although spices, herbs, onions, garlic and lime are generally used in traditional Omani cuisine, unlike similar Asian food, it is not hot. Omani cuisine is also distinct from the indigenous foods of other Gulf states and varies even in different regions of the Sultanate. The differences between some dishes prepared in Salalah, in the south, and those prepared in Muscat, in the north, are so commercial that it is difficult to find anything in common between them. However, a pleasure that remains a symbol of Omani hospitality throughout the country are the ubiquitous dates, served with Khawa or Omani coffee. Special dishes are prepared for festive occasions. The Islamic world celebrates two main religious holidays - Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.

Eid Al Fitr is celebrated after the Holy Moon of Ramadan, when the Omani people complete their obligatory fast for 30 days. Eid Al Adha is celebrated at the end of the Haj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. Dishes prepared during Ramadan are rarely cooked on other occasions. Food cooked on important occasions, such as Eid, is of an infinite variety. Humans across the country serve a variety of dishes. 

In Dhofar and Wusta, the festivities begin with mudhroub ruz, a dish made from cooked rice and served with fried fish and maqdeed, a special dried meat. In the Muscat, Al Batinah, Dahira and Sharqiya regions, muqalabul, a dish of tripe and jerky cooked with crushed or ground spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppers, ginger, garlic and nutmeg), dominates the menu.

If you ever come to visit Oman, you will not regret it at all, you will be sweetened with Omani food.