Silent Journey: A Modern Perspective of Omani Traditional Architecture

This book provides an overview of the inception, construction, and artistic aspects of “Dar Abdul Aziz Al Rowas”, located in Salalah, the Governance of Dhofar’s provincial capital and administrative and commercial center on the Sultanate of Oman’s southern shoreline, as well as providing an insight to the local architectural heritage. Spanning approximately 93,300 square kilometers, almost a third of the Sultanate’s territory, Dhofar comprises of ten wilayats, or administrative districts, including Salalah. Renowned for the production of frankincense, Dhofar is also rich in fish, livestock and other natural resources. Dhofar’s other wilayats are Taqah, Mirtab and Sadah (each of which have notable historical forts), and Shaleem, which includes the Hallaniyat Islands (formerly known as the Kuria Muria Islands), Muqshin, Thumrait, al Mazyounah, Dhalkut and Rakhyut. Underscoring its rich and illustrious history, Dhofar has numerous archeological sites these include the Natif Caves, which date back to 10,000 BC, and along with a similar site in the Muscat district of al Wattayah are the oldest human settlements in the Arabian Peninsula.