Muscat, the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman, lies between the mysterious Hajar Mountains and the
azure waters of the Gulf of Oman. It is a city of contrasts, where the new competes with the old to gather
the attention of the travel photographer. The new includes quiet five star hotels and resorts, motorways,
and wireless Internet, whereas the old comprises the sixteenth century forts and merchant houses that lie
in the Mutrah Corniche.
Mutrah remains the century old focal point for trade, with a maze of busy souks, where Omanis and tourists
alike come to haggle prices, in the hope of finding a good deal when buying the famous Dhofar frankincense
or silver jewellery.
Located in the Western corner of the Corniche is Mutrah’s more subdued, but equally lively attraction:
the fish market. Every morning, at daybreak, the fishermen start coming ashore with whatever catch they have:
tuna, sardines, crabs, lobster, shark, red snapper, hammour, prawns, cuttle fish. All are spread along the
pier and the beach for the potential buyers to see. These fishermen come from nearby villages, such as Haramel,
maintaining a truly traditional way of life that is as old as Oman itself. The waters of the Gulf of Oman
are famous for their abundance in all sorts of marine life.
Restaurant owners are there very early, to grab the best deals and the best fish, sometimes right off the
boats. They buy most of the fish, which by western standards, is very cheap indeed. It is possible to buy
one entire tuna for 5 Omani Ryals (10 Euros), or 80 sardines for 2 Euros, for example. Tourists are not usually
around, since these activities start well before 8 a.m. This makes for a more authentic experience, and for
the keen travel photographer, it is very easy to wander around or sit down and go unnoticed after a few minutes.
The whole place is actually small, thus all the activity happens in close quarters. To capture the best
travel photography images, you will need to use a wide-angle lens. 35mm is my favourite focal length as it
allows framing of subjects against the picturesque Corniche background, with its row of old buildings. By
being polite and smiling, it is possible to obtain good photographic results as people get accustomed to
your presence. During one of my visits, I was even “invited” to haul a boat to shore, rolling
it over tree trunks. After that, it was only natural that I grabbed a few shots of the men selecting their
catch.
All in all, a visit to the Mutrah fish market is an unforgettable experience. This is particularly true
if one takes the time to really appreciate what is going on: from the boats arriving, to unloading the fish,
and finally to discussing prices and closing transactions.
However, a visit to Mutrah would not be complete without a trip to the souk. The entrance is through a renovated
area, but once inside you feel like you have stepped back in time. You have to admire the wood and straw
ceilings, and the paraphernalia of products that are on sale. It will be very difficult to leave without
purchasing the above-mentioned frankincense, for which Oman has been famous for millennia. Of course you
will need a proper incense burner too. And how can you resist the incredible variety of silver, be it in
the shape of jewellery or in the shape of the khanjar, the typical Omani dagger?
If you want to relax from this exhausting activity, you can have a refreshing coconut or mango juice, or
sip a cup of sugary mint tea. Once refreshed, perhaps it is time to visit the pashmina shops, where prices
vary between 2 ryals, and 400 ryals apiece. It all depends on the quality, of course. For instance, the expensive
ones, the ones that cost 400 ryals, are made of the neck hair of 25 animals that belong to a particular goat
species that only lives in the mountains of Pashmir. For future reference, should you want to buy one, the
correct name is shatoosh.
Besides an interesting, and perhaps expensive, shopping experience, a visit to the souk can also be an exciting
travel photography journey. People are more used to tourists here, as they are quite common these days. And
because they want to sell, it will be more difficult for you not to attract their attention while grabbing
a photograph. Still, just by sitting down, or leaning into a corner, it is possible to go unnoticed after
a while, and start making some interesting photographs.
Of course light levels will be low inside the souk, so a fast ISO and/or fast lens, are necessary. Again,
my preference is for a wide-angle lens, to capture more of the ambiance. It is very interesting to witness
the interaction between shoppers, buyers, and just passers-by. All takes place very cordially, in a rhythm
that subdues all the rest, and sets the pace of the visit. Don’t be hasty; take your time to savour
the smells of the grounded spices (coriander, cinnamon, cloves, peppers, all combined in a multitude of colours),
to discern the odours of the different varieties of frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood, for instance. Or
to peruse the apparently infinite number of small bottles of perfumed oils and essences, for which Oman is
also famous (does the name Amouage ring a bell?).
Once you become part of this rhythm, your picture taking will become in tune with it, and you just walk
the narrow alleys with the rest of the people. One word of caution, though; if you are spotted by women while
taking photos, lower the camera immediately, as most will cover their faces and look uncomfortable. Also,
if you plan on taking portraits, do remember to ask permission first. The shoppers will almost always oblige,
with a smile. So go ahead and take the “smile” picture, but linger on and take a few more while
the person goes back to its normal activity of tending to customers.
At the end of the day, with the approach of sunset, a special atmosphere settles in, brought by the incoming
sea breeze and the call to prayer from the nearby mosques. It is the right time to exit the souk towards
the ocean, and seat down for a while, enjoying the nice surroundings. And after so much walking, shopping,
and travel photography, if you are hungry, why not taste a couple of homemade samosas from the coffee shop?
It’s a perfect way to end an eventful day.
About the Author
Paulo Bizarro has been taking photographs since 1987. More of his work can be seen on
www.paulobizarro.com. He can also be contacted at:
pbizarro35@yahoo.co.uk
