Old Oman

As far as books on Oman go, this is considered the definitive volume. Among other things this volume includes: impressive images from a seemingly far distant time, which is actually not long ago ... It has been said of Oman that its 'Middle Ages ended in 1970' Certainly before the accession of Sultan Qaboos little had changed in the country's outward aspect for many generations. W.D. Peyton, an Arabist with a deep knowledge and love of Oman, has painstakingly amassed a stunning record of the country as it used to be. The result is a truly fascinating series of pictures of a world now utterly transformed. Old Oman will intrigue anyone whose knowledge of the country began in more recent years, and will enhance the recollections of those with a longer acquaintance with the country. Why it took so long to rise to prominence remains a mystery but its era of prosperity seems to have depended on control by a strong political authority with international connections, whether that be Portuguese or Omani. Some Gulf ports were sustained essentially by an economic hinterland. Muscat's success was due to political factors as much or more than a hinterland. This was a significant contributing factor in its truly cosmopolitan nature. As an example of that cosmopolitanism, it was said at the beginning of the twen- tieth century that 14 languages were spoken regularly in the suqs of Muscat and Matrah.1 It may be surmised that just as many were spoken for centuries before that and indeed are spoken today.