Wakan, Oman. Experiencing the landscapes of the Arab peninsular it comes without surprise that it was here in these barren lands that monotheistic religions were conceived. There is barely anything between the treeless earth and the cloudless sky. Where should the trolls, the spirits, the ghosts, or the goddesses of the polytheistic religions live, if there is nowhere to hide?
The Hajjar mountains in Oman are one such harsh landscape. The mountain range is of a scale that is almost inconceivable because there are hardly any elements to reference against. Just rocks, and more rocks. And at the most unlikely, remote places there are almost invisibly small villages. Like Wakan, for example. A cluster of not more than a handful of houses tucked away on the steep slopes at the end of Wadi Mistall. No place to go to usually. Except for the few days when the apricot trees are in full blossom.
The blossom of these trees is such a powerful proof of life in an otherwise lifeless landscape that is seems almost supernatural. The white petals are glowing in the sunshine and look like they themselves are emitting light. These trees form the otherwise missing link between the earth and the sky. They seem to be rooted in both sides.