Oman was the guest of honor at this year’s Seoul International Book Fair at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul from June 18-22.

A number of receptions and performances were organized last week, including an Omani Pavilion at the book fair. Designed to resemble a medieval Omani castle, the pavilion had subsections for cultural, literary, economic and tourist publications. Visitors got to see traditional Omani outfits and jewelry and have henna ink designs drawn on them by professionals.

The Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra performed for foreign envoys and publishing industry officials during a reception in southern Seoul on Thursday.

Mohammed Al-Harthy, the Omani ambassador, said that selecting Oman as the guest of honor at this year’s book fair came on the 40th anniversary of Omani-Korean diplomatic relations.

The Omani chancery has made a mark for itself in the downtown Seoul area for its architecture, also being designed to resemble a medieval Omani castle.

In the book fair, a travel booklet, “Features of Oman” was published in Arabic, English and Korean by the Omani Ministry of Information, and a children’s book, “The Story of Sinbad: Journey From Oman to China” was co-published in English and Korean, by the Omani Embassy and the Korea-Arab Society.

In fact, the book fair is one of the largest events in South Korea concerned with books and publishing. Some 370 companies and publishing houses from 23 countries around the world participated this year.

The fair provided an opportunity for Oman to showcase its culture to a wide audience, including Omani art tableaus, photographs depicting Omani heritage and landscapes, and traditional Omani costumes.

Al-Harthy pointed out that his country’s participation would do a lot to raise awareness of Omani culture and highlight its achievements in social and economic development during “the Blessed Renaissance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, in addition to highlighting the Sultanate’s prosperous heritage.”

Oman’s participation in the book fair comes in the framework of a series of celebratory events this year on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of bilateral ties, including the “Welcome in to Oman” program which was launched early this year. There is also a monthly “open house” at the chancery where the embassy opens its doors to the public to showcase Omani architecture, design, history and traditional culture.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)