Frankincense

Oman is the land of frankincense. Here, the Boswellia tree provides the fragrant resin that has been traded and used for millennia in religion, as a perfume, and in medicine. It was worth its weight in gold.
The 1st picture is of wild Boswellia trees from which frankincense is harvested today. The 2nd picture is of an area where the Omani government is attempting to cultivate the trees to increase production.
The next several photos demonstrate how it's harvested. The 3rd picture shows a new cut in the bark and the 4th picture is a closer look at the cut as the sap/resin begins to ooze out. The 5th picture shows both the new cut and an older cut. Notice how the resin builds up into nodules. The 6th picture is a closer look at resin near ready to harvest.
Other posts have talked about frankincense being traded to as far away as China. The 7th picture is of a model of a former trading ship in the frankincense museum. Among the other exhibits in the museum is this display of old incense burners.
The last 3 pictures are in Salalah's Frankincense Market. There are bags of the raw product, some shops selling various frankincense preparations, and more shops with a more touristy bent.Read more