The Evolution of Trade in Oman

Boswellia Sacra grows widely across the arid mountain wadis (valleys) of southern Oman. It favours the harsh, dry conditions of the wadis, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. Among it's olive green leaves and tiny, delicate flowers, the tree is known for producing a thick, rich sap.

Boswellia Sacra in the arid, desert climate (Source)

Better known as the Frankincense tree, this tree's sap has been smouldering in houses and temples alike for millennia, and empires from every corner of the known world desired the rich scent. The sap of the frankincense tree proved to be the single most lucrative product of ancient Arabia. More than just a symbol of wealth and prosperity, the unforgettable aroma was believed to be a direct link to the heavens. Oman began to ship the sap by the liter across Arabia to the Mediterranean, and very quickly a trade route emerged.

Caravans transporting the incense across the Arabian desert (Source)

Routed in ancient Ubar, Oman, the frankincense would travel by caravan across what is now the Saudian Peninsula, through Jordan and Negev to the ports of Gaza where it was then shipped across the Mediterranean. The sap was precious, and it was extremely costly to ship. Cities put taxes on the product as it travelled across Arabia, increasing the cost of the incense itself. At about 6 Denarii per liter, or very roughly 125 dollars, frankincense was quite literally worth it's weight in Gold.

$125/liter: the sap burns at a high cost (Source)

The Frankincense caravans crossed the desert one oasis at a time, always stopping to replenish and rest. Strong forts like the fort at Nakhl were erected strategically along the trade route, providing not only a place to store product and to replenish the caravans, but also acting as guardians of the ancient trade route, protecting and regulating the products as they traveled across Oman and the rest of the Saudian peninsula. As the ancient trade route expanded, many products were moved by caravan along the route. Oman found itself in the middle of a seemingly ever expanding trade, and The Nakhl fort became a stronghold. It was key in the protection and motivation of the route.

-Jordan Evans



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