Sumhuram Archaeological Park

Sumhuram Archaeological Park, also known as Khor Rori, features the ruins of an ancient port city in Oman, pivotal to the frankincense trade.

Planning your visit

Sumhuram was the port through which Dhofar's frankincense left for the wider world. Founded around the third century BC on a creek at Khor Rori, it shipped resin to Arabia, India and the Mediterranean, and it is one of four sites in the UNESCO Land of Frankincense listing.

The ruins are substantial: city walls, a gate with inscriptions in the South Arabian script, a temple, storerooms and residential structures, on a bluff above a lagoon where the creek meets the sea.

The setting is the draw as much as the archaeology — the khor is a protected wetland with flamingos and other birds, and the coastline beyond is dramatic.

A site museum interprets the excavations, which have been conducted largely by Italian teams.

Local tradition connects the site to the Queen of Sheba, without evidence.

It is around forty minutes east of Salalah. Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include East Salalah tours. Current availability is shown below.