Flush with wealth from its oil fields, the Sultanate of Oman has catapulted from Arabian Peninsula backwater to modern nation—while keeping alive traditions such as lailat al henna, a women-only celebration to honor a bride on the eve of her wedding. Her hands bear fanciful filigrees executed in henna, which will wear off in several weeks.
—From “Oman,” May 1995, National Geographic magazine
