National Day - Al Razha
Issued in November 1981 to celebrate the 11th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman, this 160 Baisa commemorative stamp honors Al-Razha (الرزحه), one of the country's oldest and most revered traditional performing arts. Masterfully printed via photogravure by the Swiss firm Courvoisier, the design frames its lively cultural vignette under a vibrant, clear blue sky. The bottom corners cleanly display the face value, with "160 BAISA" in Western typography on the left and the Eastern Arabic numeral equivalent (١٦٠ بيسة) on the right. These frame the central lower inscription, which anchors the celebratory milestone in both languages as "NATIONAL DAY 1981 / العيد الوطني ١٩٨١ م".
The central illustration depicts a gathering of Omani men in traditional attire participating in the Al-Razha, a celebratory sword dance historically performed to showcase martial skill, chivalry, and poetic expression. Balancing this cultural display, the top center of the stamp features the national emblem of crossed swords and a khanjar, while the right side is dominated by a large, circular portrait medallion of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in profile. By spotlighting Al-Razha for the 1981 National Day celebrations, Omani administrative authorities emphasized the preservation of indigenous folklore and heritage as a foundational pillar of unified national identity during a decade of rapid mid-century modernization.
The central illustration depicts a gathering of Omani men in traditional attire participating in the Al-Razha, a celebratory sword dance historically performed to showcase martial skill, chivalry, and poetic expression. Balancing this cultural display, the top center of the stamp features the national emblem of crossed swords and a khanjar, while the right side is dominated by a large, circular portrait medallion of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in profile. By spotlighting Al-Razha for the 1981 National Day celebrations, Omani administrative authorities emphasized the preservation of indigenous folklore and heritage as a foundational pillar of unified national identity during a decade of rapid mid-century modernization.