Khanjars and more!

It takes a lot longer to blog my rambling adventures than it does to do these quick updates, but I hope they are interesting none-the-less. 

The Omani Flag

The Omani Flag has three colors and the national emblem of Oman in the top left corner. This emblem is made up of the Khanjar, the traditional Omani curved dagger, and two crossed swords. Here is how a Khanjar is worn, across the waist on a belt:

They are normally ornamented in silver, something that Oman seems to have quite a bit of (if the tourist guys are to be believed). A nice Khanjar can set you back hundreds of dollars, or you can buy a cheap one for around $25. They seem to get worn when a guy is dressing up, probably trying to show off how tough he is. This guy is also carrying a traditional cane. You would see more guys carrying the cane than wearing the dagger, probably because daggers are dangerous. 

Here is a picture I took in front of the Sultan's palace, showing the symbol in gold at the front gate:

The Khanjar is also on their money, here's an example for a One Rial (Omani currency) Note:

Not to mention that his majesty, Sultan Qaboos, wears his all the time!

Here he is, strutting next to our former vice president. I can't tell if he's adjusting his dagger or his massive junk. It's too bad that his majesty didn't show Cheney the business end of his Khanjar, at least to get his blood pumping a little!