When in Oman and looking for some souvenirs, just rush to the nearest souk and buy yourself some Omani silver.
The choices are bewildering, as everything is crammed side by side on walls and shelves, hanging from the low ceilings, mixed up nonchalantly in bins and barrels.
The most obvious choice is the traditional curved dagger, the khanjar. If you buy one, just make sure you don’t put it in your hand-carried luggage because, well…it’s a real dagger. And it can be pretty sharp, too.
Image from coyotespaw.com
There are also boxes so tiny, I wondered what they were for (snuff boxes? pill boxes?), mostly plain, some inlaid with what looked like lapiz azuli. There are traditional belts and bangles, an odd helmet or two. Chains, pendants, bracelets, rings, toe rings. Lamps in various sizes.
I rubbed a few of those lamps but didn’t have any luck finding a genie who’d grant me three wishes. But I got something better: DH found me this pair of lovely earrings.
I fell in love instantly. And felt giddy when DH insisted on paying for them ;)
(NB: The earrings are about 75% smaller than as depicted in the photo.)
All items are sold by weight and are, surprisingly, quite affordable.
If you’re shopping in Muttrah market, take note that the shops close from 12 noon to 4 pm daily. Most shops only take cash but some accept Visa and MasterCard. Just watch out for the unmistakable Visa and MasterCard signs by the shop window or beside the cashier.
