Frankincense: I uncovered the story behind the traditional Christmas scent on a trip to Oman

01.01.2025 - 05:47 / euronews.com

Mention frankincense, and it’s hard not to instantaneously think of Christmas.

Cited in the story of the birth of Christ in the Bible’s Book of Matthew, it was one of the precious gifts (alongside gold and myrrh) given to the baby Jesus by the three wise men.

But there’s more to this ancient, aromatic tree resin than its Biblical association. This becomes immediately clear on my first trip to the Sultanate of Oman, the epicentre of frankincense.

The mystical, rich scent of frankincense (known locally as luban) is unavoidable in Oman. This is especially true in the city of Salalah in the southernmost governorate of Dhofar, where frankincense trees grow wild.

Before I even land in the sun-blasted seaside city, I get my first whiff. An undernote of frankincense can be detected in the hand lotion on Oman Air, where amenity kits come care of Oman’s most famous perfumery, the high-end Omani heritage brand Amouage, which uses frankincense in around 60 per cent of its products. From that moment on, the scent of frankincense is never far from me.

As I swan through the ultra-modern, sleek Salalah Airport, frankincense hydrosol wafts from industrial-grade diffusers to scent and clean the air.

When my taxi pulls up under the elegant Arabian arches of my hotel, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, I spy a trio of ornamental frankincense trees in gleaming gold pots. The property lounges seaside, within viewing distance of The Museum of the Frankincense Land.

My room is like a magical setting from a Scheherazade story with frangipani trees, bronze lanterns, and traditional majlis seating. The air is fragrant with the faint, slightly sweet traces of incense smoke from recently burned resin.

And at the gleaming spa, with its lavish marble hammam, frankincense essential oil is worked into sore muscles, and frankincense-infused elixirs are offered in lieu of herbal tea.

Even after just a few hours in Salalah, it’s immediately apparent why this is known as the land of frankincense.

Also called the perfume capital of Arabia, Salalah is home to the most valued species of frankincense trees in the world, Boswellia sacra, from which sap is sourced and dried to become little crystals of frankincense resin - once worth more than gold. The resin is burned as incense or distilled into oil for various uses. Though also native to Yemen and Somalia, this top species is most commonly found in Oman and played a major role in establishing the region as a prosperous trade hub in the ancient world.

Hussain Balhaf, the in-house tour guide at Al Baleed Resort, takes me to see the UNESCO heritage site of Khor Rori (Sumhuram), a fortified port city once used for the frankincense trade, dating back to the 3rd century BCE.

“During excavation, incense