Sultan, 41, is an Omani Human Resource Development specialist here in the Sultanate of Oman. I met him in a coffee house and was curious about the colorful head turban he wore. Being from the East myself, I realize I’ve been much exposed to men wearing turbans, but never quite this colorful. Later in life, living among Uyghurs in colorful Xinjiang province of China, I learned that the turban is not just for protection from the sun, but for the sake of cooling the head. Sweat from the head remains there and turns into a cooling dew.
I ask him how does wearing this turban, or massar of many colors relates to his culture and his daily life: - “You are right, it’s unusual for Omani to wear such a colorful head turban. Except, we have seen our Sultan wearing it, and it turned into a quite a fashion trend”- says Sultan with pride and a smile on his face.
Mussar turbans and the embroidered caps called kummah are both part of the official Omani traditional dress. However, the mussar is always worn for formal meetings and sits like a crown on an Omani man’s head; a powerful symbol representative of the Sultanate’s glorious cultural diversity and national identity. More than mere fashion in the past, the style in which a mussar was worn was a way to identify at a glance what region a man was from.
Later, I visit my newfound friend, Sultan, in his hometown of Nizwa, about 1h 50 minutes away from Muscat, the capital of Sultanate of Oman. Omani hospitality has no limits. Guests are always welcomed and honored with a delicious meal and sweet fellowship around coffee and dates. Hospitality is a way of life here in Oman. Sultan shares that when they smell food coming from their neighbor’s house, a dish will be sent to them, and vice versa.
Afterwards, he takes us to the old city where he grew up and where his mother lives. "If we don't see our mother at least once a day and don't kiss her and greet her, she gets so worried" - says Sultan, as we walk though the palm-tree covered yard of their family house in the old city of Nizwa.
Sultan is a proud father of six children. His youngest, Ibrahim is a charmer. During the entire time of our visit to his home, Ibrahim was the center of the attention. Playful and full of joy and life. “That’s what I wanted” -says Sultan, “I could’ve had long hours of work and never seen my children, or see them grow and bring joy to this life. I’m thankful I can have enough time for my family.”
This care extends also extends outside of the family. If we see a child doing something wrong, we guide him to the right thing no matter whose child it is, “says Sultan. His community and his contribution to it is something he doesn’t take for granted. “For me to be Omani is to be a man of my word and to show respect to everyone. We are open to everybody, and we deal with all equally.
We thank Sultan as we prepare to leave Nizwa, and he kindly replies, “This was nothing, ... For you to truly experience this place, you must come for a longer time.”
What can one say to such a rich invite, but yes, absolutely!
