Frankincense & Myrrh Trees
Southern Arabian Penninsula

The frankincense route, one of the most ancient international trade routes, led form Southern Arabia to Ghaza in Palestine, running inland roughly parallel to the Red Sea and covering the total distance of almost 3,400 km. There was not a temple or wealthy home in Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Jerusalem or Rome which did not require these precious resins and was prepared to pay for their weight in gold.

Aromatics such as myrrh and frankincense were greatly prized in the ancient civilised world and were used as part of various rituals in many cultures, including Egyptian, Greek and Roman. In the 11th century BC, land routes through Arabia were greatly improved by using the camel as a beast of burden, and frankincense was carried from its production centre at Qana (Bir 'Ali)

The southernmost region of Oman, modern Dhofar, was responsible for the area's importance. Frankincense is an aromatic gum from certain species of trees which grow only in southern Oman, the Wadi Hadhramaut in Yemen, and Somalia. Some of them pour east in the desert, west in the Red Sea, or south in the waters of Arabian Sea, precious commodities which came by ships to Qana, a port on the Arabian Sea.

  1. Queen of Sheba The kingdom of Saba, the biblical Sheba, was but one of of several kingdoms that flourished in the area during the first century.
  2. ArabNet -- Yemen, History, Ancient Civilisations
  3. ArabNet -- Yemen, History, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Dynasties
  4. ArabNet -- Oman, History, Early Times
  5. The Extinct Arabian People of 'AdFabled Lost Arabian City Found !
  6. ArabNet -- Yemen, Culture, People
    The Zaidi tribe are Shi'ite Muslims, who inhabit the northern mountain region and whose religious and political beliefs exerted a great influence on Northern Yemen from the 9th century onwards. The northern and southern lowland regions are dominated by the Shafii community of Sunnite Muslims, who are widely different in their culture and economic structure and have often been at variance.
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  9. Oil of Gladness
  10. Aromatherapy Oils
  11. Frankincense: picture, info.
  12. Incenses and Perfumes
  13. Resina oliani
  14. Somaliland Development
  15. The Realm of White Magic
  16. United Arab Emirates
  17. Peace Quest: Tel Aviv
  18. Arab Student Org.
  19. Middle East BankDate Palm Trees
  20. Tree Plantations
    This plantation activities are to be locally funded and we plan to setup some kind of competition among the villages, see who plants more trees and then giving away certificates etc.
  21. The Cure - A Forest
  22. Cairo Scene: Books
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