REFERENCES:
• "Traders, Teachers, Pressmen and Pilgrim Brokers: Penang Arabs in the Regional Network" by Abdur Razzaq Lubis
• wwwjewelofmuscat.tv
AMIDST THE USUAL assortment of tankers, ferries and fishing boats, the 18-metre Jewel of Muscat was an anachronism: made completely out of wood with not a single nail used, and hailing all the way to Penang from Qantab, Oman. The Jewel was a replica of a ninth century Omani sailing ship, meticulously reconstructed by experts using a range of historical sources. The project was part of a cultural initiative by the Omani and Singaporean governments to replicate the ship's historic journey from Oman to Singapore. The only modern equipment used on the boat were navigation devices; other than that, the sailors sailed as any ninth century sailor would.
