Encyclopedia of mango tree weighing 42 kg presented at the book fair

A year ago, Greece became the main guest, before that – South Korea, now – the Sultanate of Oman, from where about forty writers and poets came. Every day literary sessions and musical performances are held in the pavilion of the privileged country.

At literary sessions, they repeatedly talked about the influence of nature on literary creativity, about the fact that it is not a background, not a scenery, but a powerful force that influences the language, style, mentality of a person, his relationships in society. Mountains, seas, oases shape human character in a certain way. And the silence you hear only in the mountains makes a poet.

Omani poet and writer Zahran al-Qasimi, awarded the Arabic Booker, whose works were translated into Farsi, English and Japanese and were filmed, was born in a mountain village. This determines a lot in his work. Al-Qasimi constantly writes about the village and described his main novel to date, “The Expulsion of the Water Seeker”, as “the daughter of the village”, since it is not just a place of action, but a certain system of relationships and world order.

Water in the Middle East is worth its weight in gold, and in the works of al-Qasimi it determines the fate of man. The famous writer is also a noble beekeeper, which is reflected in his books. He has a novel called Honey Hunger.

A series of publications is devoted to the landscapes of the country, including urban locations. Such booklets are usually published for major world film festivals to attract the attention of filmmakers and potential film crews. Separately, Musandam is presented, separated from the main part of the country by the territory of the UAE and one of the southern regions of Oman, the province of Dhofar, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is called the land of incense, because the sacred incense tree is grown in the local oasis.

Since trees in Oman and the UAE do not just grow, but require special care (often water tubes are brought to everyone), they become a source of inspiration and decorate the titles of novels.

In the center of the space allotted to Oman, an 11-volume mango tree encyclopedia is on display, the main surprise of the fair guests. Here visitors are constantly crowded, even photographed against the background of a miracle publication and a real work of art.

The mango encyclopedia was published on the initiative of the late Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said, who loved these juicy fruits. In 2006, he launched a scientific work, which finally took shape in 2015 and was published in a German publishing house. The weight of the meeting is 42 kg. This is the most comprehensive scientific treatise on mangoes in the world.

It details how mangoes are grown in 65 countries, how to control pests and soil salinization so that the tree grows well and bears fruit, and the diseases to which it is prone. The collection describes all varieties of mangoes that can only be found in the world.

The first volume is devoted to the history of mangoes in Oman. It was brought there in the X century AD and today is successfully grown, which seems fantastic, given the features of too dry climate.

With an almost half-hour performance in the main hall, a large group of performers of traditional male dance with bamboo canes, Al-Ayala, performs. It is included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. To the national music, then in white, then in dark green clothes, dancers make meditative movements, skillfully controlling sticks.

From Oman to Sharjah brought copies of ancient manuscripts, medical compendium XI-XII centuries, concisely expounding the basic medical postulates, the book of the first traveler with a description of the places visited by him. The fair now brings more replicas of ancient treasures. In previous years, mainly British companies delivered originals to Sharjah - ancient atlases, medical treatises, unique suras. And all this before the end of the fair bought up, although it was fabulous. Now there are not so many European representations. There is a Greek stand, some writers have come, mostly of Arab origin.

From Oman brought photos of famous photographers about the life of people in the mountains and sands, capturing their life, family portraits. The foreheads and noses of women’s girls are covered by battules, traditional masks with historical roots. From a distance they resemble a mustache and surprise Europeans.

The showcases display miniature female figures in traditional handmade clothing. It's made of silk and cotton. The sleeves and collars are embroidered with gold and silver threads. The colors are rich, bright, up to yellow. The costume of a resident of the coastal city does not cover her from head to toe. Faces open, ankles open. The shoes are elegant and heeled. In general, the presented collection of miniature ladies belongs to the luxury class.

An almost half-hour performance in the main hall is performed by a large group of performers of the traditional male dance Al-Ayyal with bamboo canes, included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. To the national music, then in white, then in dark green clothes, dancers make meditative movements, skillfully controlling sticks.