The Frankincense Trail – Its Early Routes + Traveling Tips

Frankincense was one of the crucial useful commodities traded within the historic world. An odd Boswellia tree produces the golden resin that grew to become so fashionable that Oman developed routes to facilitate frankincense commerce. Now, the Frankincense Trail stays a protected cultural attraction for vacationers. 

People can go to the principle websites, cities and ports that boosted the commerce and stroll the routes that camel caravans traversed in historic instances. The Frankincense Trail in Oman is known amongst vacationers, as it’s the birthplace of frankincense and is on the coronary heart of the commerce. 

In This Article

The History of Frankincense

Frankincense, also referred to as olibanum, is a yellow resin made out of the dried sap of a Boswellia tree, which is present in Oman and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia in northeastern Africa. The Boswellia tree is recognizable by its papery bark, sparse leaves and white-petaled flowers with a crimson or yellow heart. 

Frankincense harvesting begins with slicing the bark, which causes milky white sap to ooze from the tree. Over a number of months, this sap hardens and transforms right into a golden colour. The sap is then harvested by scraping it off the tree and accumulating the hardened resin. 

Pure frankincense has a pale yellow colour and is translucent. Traders will maintain the bits of resin as much as the sunshine — the extra gentle penetrating by way of it, the higher the standard. The pure oil content material makes it burn nicely, producing a musky, lemony scent. 

Throughout historical past, frankincense has held important non secular significance. The Babylonians, Sumerians, Assyrians and Persians provided frankincense to their gods, and it was one of many presents the sensible males dropped at child Jesus within the Bible. The Egyptians started utilizing it as a base for his or her perfumes and an ingredient in oils to protect mummies. 

Today, whereas frankincense shouldn’t be a really extensively used important oil, some analysis suggests potential well being advantages. It is prescribed in Chinese medication for blood stagnation and irritation illnesses, along with relieving ache and swelling. 

As the recognition of frankincense grew, buying and selling took off. What started as a medicinal treatment grew into an ingredient for cosmetics and a extremely prized commodity.

The Frankincense Trail and Its Early Routes

So, what’s the Frankincense Trail? The frankincense routes flourished between the third century B.C. and the second century A.D. and rivaled the commerce of gold, silk and gems. The community of commerce routes enabled frankincense commerce between Yemen and the Gulf of Oman within the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia. This community spanned a distance of over 2,000 miles. These networks included overland trails, the place merchants traversed lengthy distances over the desert and maritime routes.

This web site in Oman, dubbed The Land of Frankincense, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site to keep up its integrity and authenticity. Salalah is the capital metropolis of Dhofar, the southern area of Oman, which was well-known in historic instances as a part of the frankincense buying and selling group. A couple of predominant websites and communities surrounding Salalah helped the outdated frankincense commerce flourish in Oman.

Although stony and semi-desert, Wadi Dawkah, about 25 miles north of Salalah, is known for its frankincense bushes. From this area, frankincense was produced, collected after which taken for commerce. To at the present time, the Boswellia bushes thrive within the excessive warmth and produce frankincense. The historic distribution of frankincense was by way of three predominant websites that had been exceptionally fortified. 

The port of Khor Rori, about 25 miles east of Salalah, was a pure harbor between the fourth century B.C. and the fifth century A.D. The stays of this port inform the story of a powerful fortress. Tower stays border the port’s outdated entrance that made up an enormous construction with three gates on the steep entry path. This port of Khor Rori served as a industrial distribution level for frankincense so far as East Africa and India.

There are ruins in Khor Rori that some archeologists consider could also be stays of the Queen of Sheba’s palace, from which she reigned over this busy coastal buying and selling area.

Al-Baleed is a port metropolis on the seashores of the Indian Ocean and lies to the east of Salalah’s seashore. Artifacts collected from China and different nations recommend that town’s harbor held nice significance within the commerce of frankincense on the Silk Road to the Sea. 

Unlike Khor Rori, Al-Baleed didn’t have a fortified harbor. Instead, the frankincense and different items had been loaded and unloaded on small boats within the shallow water. The metropolis was closely secured, however quite a few assaults and radical adjustments within the buying and selling pressured by Portuguese and European merchants led to its downfall by the fifteenth century. 

Shisr or Ubar, now a famed misplaced metropolis, was a major station alongside the routes from Wadi Dawkah to the Njed in Saudi Arabia, the harbor and ports. This agriculture oasis within the desert that lies round 112 miles north of Salalah was a caravan web site and supplied water provide to merchants. Ancient camel caravans would cease at this oasis as they carried frankincense overland to Palmyra, Persia, Rome and Egypt. 

Tips for Traveling the Frankincense Trail

To go to these wealthy heritage websites, encounter the distinctive Boswellia tree and uncover extra in regards to the historic frankincense commerce, you don’t should be a dealer like in historic instances. The distinctive journey that the Frankincense Trail presents is a traveler’s dream, and with the following tips, you may profit from your voyage.

• Who ought to go to: The Frankincense Trail is a gorgeous vacation spot for world vacationers however will significantly attraction to you in case you are an historic historical past, cultural, outside and archaeology fanatic. This path is greatest for individuals who love nature and are desperate to be taught extra about historical past. 
• When you need to go to: Oman could be very sizzling throughout the summer time months between June and August. The greatest time to journey the path is when the temperature is milder, from October to May. 
• How you need to gown: Many of the individuals of Oman are non secular and honor their tradition and traditions. As an indication of respect, you need to gown conservatively by overlaying most of your legs and shoulders. 
• How are you able to go to: You probably received’t want a visa. In 2020, Oman handed a legislation permitting guests from 103 counties to remain there for as much as 10 days with out a visa. The U.S. is on these record of nations.
• How to expertise it: Booking a tour is one of the best ways to take pleasure in an immersive expertise of the path. You can acquire in-depth data from an area tour information and ask questions in regards to the historical past of the routes. A information will even know the most effective sights. 

Visit the Frankincense Trail With Windstar Cruises

At Windstar Cruises, our boutique yachts supply an intimate journey expertise for visitors. We accommodate between 148 and 342 visitors on board our ships to permit you time and area to take pleasure in your journey and our tailor-made itinerary. We may also help you expertise the fantastic thing about the Frankincense Trail, immerse within the wealthy heritage and be taught extra in regards to the tradition this historic route presents. 

To be taught extra about this vacation spot or for assist planning your trip, request a name from one in every of our educated trip planners!