Al Ashkharah — Al Ashkharah Festival welcomes Omani artisans who practice traditional handicrafts, showcasing and promoting them to preserve their ancestors' legacy. These handcrafted techniques serve both as a way to adjust to the environment and as a source of income.
Sea netmaking, or "ghazl alleekh," is one of the most well-known Omani traditional crafts. This tradition has been followed by Omani fishermen for generations and is still common in Oman’s coastal regions.
Alleekh is a basic tool for conventional fishers that comprises multimesh nets produced from nylon or cotton threads and reinforced with a surrounding rope. The size of the mesh openings and the thickness of the thread vary according to the fishing technique and the species of fish desired. Each net is between 175 and 200 yards long and takes around 15 days to complete.
These nets are commonly utilized in Oman’s coastal governorates, where they go by various names depending on their fishing objectives.
Crafting these nets necessitates specialized competence; the maker must be an experienced fisherman with a thorough understanding of fish species and the ability to construct evenly sized mesh openings. Weights are fixed to the bottoms of the nets to guarantee adequate sinking.
A vital element of al-leekh is cork, which keeps the nets floating on the water's surface. The cork is known as alkarb, which is derived from the palm trunk's tough section. If the net rips, it must be completely re-weaved.
