A lot of them have been dried out by the sun. They needed retouching but despite so, they continue to tell the story of tales that they were designed for. It was an ambitious project when it was hatched. And the dream was, to make it the longest artwork painted on the wall of a harbour. They were supposed to invite representatives of the Guinness Book of World Record to witness its unveiling, but somewhere along the line, things didn’t quite work out.
The paintings were originally planned to live long, coated with a special chemical that would protect them from the elements. But even that proved to have failed after just two years.
Yet, from its launching in January 2016, it cannot be denied that this project was massive. With 50 painters commissioned to cover a total of 6,500 sq m (1,300 m x 5 m) area, it is by far the first of its kind painting in the Sultanate.
After the applause has died down, the paintings on the wall continued to live. On most days, it’s only the dhows, the sea turtles and different species of birds that keep it company.
The themes varied starting with an artwork of the likeness of His Majesty the Sultan. The wall also talks of the country’s relationship with the sea, its traditional ways of living and dressing, of fishermen conquering the oceans and how they crafted a comfortable life for themselves in what was once a very challenging environment.
It speaks of the country’s many triumphs — of handsome villages and sprawling nature, of laughing girls and working men shaped and formed in the style of the artistes who pull them out of their imaginations but grounded them on the rawness of reality.
Despite their fading colours, the paintings on the wall of Sur continue to defy the elements singing the songs of life — things they were meant to impart to those who happen to find themselves lost in this part of the Sultanate.
An interesting point of Sur
“Of all the paintings here, this one (pointing to a painting of houses that is seen through a broken wall) speaks to me,” Moroccan Hala, who’ve spent her growing years in the country shared.
“My family was in France for a few years but we’ve always spent a great deal of time in my home country of Morocco. This speaks to me because it reminded me of home — of how houses were built there. It evokes that nostalgic feeling in me,” she described.
“Typical amongst villages in the country, this is very Oman. But the two countries have gone through almost the same journey and with some customs and traditions almost similar in some ways, this painting is without a doubt a favourite of mine,” she said.
For Omani student Ethar, being an athlete who loves horses, it was the painting of the majestic horse that caught her attention.
“You kind of get drawn to the things that interest you. Whatever your passion is in life, when you see something that pays tribute to it through art, your attention is automatically hooked,” she said.
“I’d been riding horses for years now. Coming here and seeing all this artworks, there are several things that stand out but it’s the horses that speak to me,” she said.
Hala and Ethar were there on an art tour organised by Oman Outdoor Adventure headed by Ahmed al Jaabri.
“My plan was to show to the group some interesting points of Sur before we head out to Ras al Hadd where we are camping for the evening. Other than bringing everyone to the highest point in Sur with a good view of the bridge, this harbour is also an interesting feature. Many people heard of it but seemed like few come to visit,” Ahmed said.
“I’d been to Sur many times and I’ve quite known a few best spots that make up for a good photo. After doing a lot of outdoor adventure, why not put a little twist and appreciate some of our culture that is dearly loved by the people of Oman,” he added.
Harbour wall tells tales
The painted harbour wall of Sur was a community project. The artistes commissioned were not only Omanis, but some were from India, Egypt and other countries.
Its location is not only scenic but in the late afternoon, it’s also the best spot for watching the sunset.
On our particular visit, half a dozen of sea turtles made an appearance while in the waters further, dhows and other sea vehicles were busy moving back and forth.
Most of the artistes’ signature have already faded which made it hard to track down who made which.
During our visit, more than a dozen of the paintings were already totally hard to recognise with several of them, only the outlines remain.
“Not so many people come to visit anymore, huh?” quipped one of the members of the adventure group.
Nobody said anything as a reply.
If there is one important take away I observed in everything that I’ve seen, it is that the protected culture and tradition, the old games and accessories men and women wear, the popular sights, the developed villages — they were all testament to the love and dedication of a man who wanted to see his country improve and become a success.
Which is why I personally think that it was just very fitting that before people move along to the next paintings, it was a painting of the image of His Majesty that greets them first. Because everything that follows was just a reminder how far the country has gone through his wise efforts. The harbour wall still does tell tales; I just can’t speak about all of them.
YERU EBUEN & TITASH CHAKRABORTY
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