WADI DAWKAH

Emblematic of the cultural landscape of Dhofar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadi Dawkah is the perfect illustration of the incense biosphere: a wadi draining northwards at the edge of the desert with incense trees scattered over a flat area of about 5 km². The higher areas of the park are largely populated by acacia and similar species, capable of withstanding the most extreme conditions. The Boswellia sacra is here in its limestone kingdom, a small deciduous tree of 2 to 8 meters in height, whose paper-like bark peels easily. Only the male tree produces the precious resin, but it takes a good ten years for it to provide a product of the best possible quality. The bark is incised by removing a long, narrow strip, then the area is scraped clean, and the gum-resin concretions are collected by dropping them into a container. The resin secretions, hardened by contact with air, are collected two to three weeks later; these solidified drops can be more than 2 cm long. A mature tree generally produces 3 to 4 kg of incense per season. On site, a shelter with benches allows to observe the landscape while remaining in the shade.

Other associated sites classified by Unesco under the title "Land of incense": the port of Khor Rori (40 km east of Salalah), that of Al Baleed (on the seafront in Salalah) and the city-oasis of Ubar/Shisr at 170 km from the city in the Rub Al Khali desert.