Oman
Sumhuram
Flamingos wade where Rome's frankincense cargo once rode at anchor.
Sumhuram's stone walls stand above the blue of Khor Rori, where trading ships once rode at anchor. The sea has closed the lagoon mouth since, and flamingos wade where the cargo came in.
Sumhuram was the port the frankincense left from: a fortified trading city above Khor Rori whose warehouses, temple and walls have been raised again by excavation, and whose cargo reached Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia. The sea has since closed the lagoon mouth with a sandbar, and flamingos and herons now wade where the ships anchored. It is a managed archaeological park, open daily with an interpretation centre, and a core component of UNESCO's Land of Frankincense; the museum in Salalah holds its best finds.
Solo
Ruins, lagoon and birdlife in one compact park make this the Dhofar history stop that repays reading everything.
Couple
Sumhuram then Wadi Darbat, the port and its green hinterland, is east Dhofar's natural pairing.
- Sumhuram shipped Dhofar's frankincense to Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia from its fortified port on Khor Rori.
- Excavation has raised a temple, warehouses and the city walls above the lagoon.
- Flamingos and herons wade the water below the ruins, where the trading ships once anchored.
- The park is a core component of UNESCO's Land of Frankincense, with its own interpretation centre.
Om Ayman in Taqah, the town beside the khor, fries fish with chatni sauce and stacks lahooh pancakes.
Lukemat doughnuts at the same Taqah tables are the sweet to finish on.
Chartres
France
Light through medieval glass so vivid the blue was named after the cathedral itself.
Al-Bagawat
Egypt
Domed desert chapels with fourth-century biblical murals, among the oldest Christian art on Earth.
Căușeni
Moldova
Built into the ground to duck Ottoman height law, a sunken nave filled with saints.
Tazenakht
Morocco
Siroua wool drinks pomegranate red beneath thousands of hand-tied knots and orange borders.
