‘The moment we met
I knew that God and Allah
shared a single light’
First impressions count and a moment of beauty can remain in the memory, to be shared and enjoyed forever. This moment for me came during my first visit to Oman last year when I arrived into the country at nightfall and en route to my hotel encountered the breath-taking Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque, majestically overseeing the capital city of Muscat.
It was not long afterwards that I penned the above short poem and photographed the accompanying image, which has since been published in the Bangor Literary Journal back home in Northern Ireland.
For me, my initial perception of Oman was not only the obvious beauty of its scenery (the mountains, the sea, and the traditional buildings resting quietly in between), but also the generosity and friendliness of its people and apparent tolerance towards other faiths and cultures. Hence, the sentiments in the words of the poem which reflect an ethos of encompassment, at times not fully appreciated in a wider context.
Lynda Tavakoli is the author of two novels and a short story collection and her poetry has been widely published in the UK, Ireland and abroad.
In the past few years I have had the privilege of visiting a number of Middle Eastern countries and although I shouldn’t have a favourite, there is definitely something very special about Oman. Perhaps, it has to do with the controlled heights of the buildings therefore retaining that sense of tradition often lost when modern skyscrapers start to appear in city skylines. There is something rather lovely about visiting a country that is proudly holding on to its heritage and traditions despite the pressures of the modern world to do otherwise. Or perhaps it’s the genuine warmth of the Omani people that one encounters from the moment one steps off the plane in Muscat’s brand new airport to bartering with traders in Mutrah Souq. During my visit last year, my husband’s car broke down in the middle of a mountain pass and, without fail, every single car that passed us offered assistance (I’m not saying that this wouldn’t happen at home but not to this extent!).
A few weeks ago I was invited to the BBC in Belfast to talk on Radio Ulster about my travels in the Middle East and was delighted to mention Oman in the interview in view of the fact that it is now a favoured tourist destination particularly for cruise ships. Now that I am back here again, albeit for a few weeks, I hope to do more exploring in the knowledge that there is much more to discover about this wonderful country that I have definitely taken to my heart.