Khor Rouri

The last stop on our trip to the East was called Khor Rouri -- it is an extremely old archaeological city that has ruins from an old city that used to be one of the major sites of....you guessed it! (Frankincense!) The site also has a temple, and store rooms and a port area for the boats.




If you can't read this sign about Khor Rouri, it says: "The ancient site of Sumharam (end of 4th century BC - 4th century AD), built in the area of Khor Rori, is the most important pre-Islamic settlement in the Dhofa region and is also the center of frankincense production areas. South Arabian inscriptions were carved along the monumental gate to the city. Outside the city wall, a small temple and structures contemporary to the first phase of the city were excavated (3rd century BC - 1st century AD). The great quantity of iron and bronze objects discovered, as well as the presence of a workshop for metals, suggests that the city was also a very important center for the internal trade towards south-eastern Arabia and the northern coast of Oman, which was rich in copper.





So this site is really famous for being a gathering spot for all the magicians and Jinn in the region. Every Thursday night they are said to gather and have lots of jinn that gather and the famous magicians practice black magic there. According to the students at the University, this still happens and if we wanted to come any Thursday night we could... (others disagree and say that is not true anymore).

Jinn are a fascinating subject here in Oman, because Omanis, as Muslims, have to believe in the Jinn (they are considered to be one of the creations of God, along with Angels and Man). We had a whole lecture on this -- the Jinn are made of a different substance, while man is made of earth, the Jinn are made of fire.

So, magicians are known to exist and be very powerful here in Oman (of course this depends on who you ask) and according to the Oman students here, they gain their power by controlling the Jinn, but according to one student, the magicians have to sacrifice something they love, and if they want to become truly powerful, they have to eat their own children.

One of the students I talked to actually told me a story about a man eating his child, while another told us the story when we were out in the Sahara of a man who married a Jinnia, and had 2 children with her. He said that someone wanted to come visit them, and he said he could come to his house and see them but whatever he does, he cannot say the name of God (Allah), but apparently when he entered the house, the Jinn and children were so bright and talking in some strange language...and they were so bright the man said, "Oh my God!"and the Jinia (wife) and kids disappeared instantly.

So of course most Omani's don't really believe these stories -- but they are widely known and passed around. That is what I find most interesting!