Omanis come from all over the country to buy garments and jewelry. The main thoroughfare of the souq carries mainly household goods, shoes and ready-made garments. Further inside, there are mixed smells of frankincense, perfume oils, fresh jasmine, and spices. There are also tiny shops (on the side streets and alleyways leading up to the souq) with Omani silver, stalls of white dishdashas and embroidered kumahs, brightly colored cloth, and multicolored head scarves. Shoppers can even obtain old Arabian muskets at these souqs. Other items sold at the souq include Omani pots, paintings, hookah pipes, framed khanjars (daggers), leatherwork, and incense. The souq goes by various names: Market of Darkness, due to its myriad of alleys and roads lined by shops that block the sun during the day. The east and west parts are also known as “the small market” and “the large market”. Infrastructure Port Sultan Qaboos Commonly called the Muscat Port, Port Sultan Qaboos is one of the main commercial ports in Oman. It is Oman's premier maritime gateway, enjoying a prime location in the politically stable sultanate. Situated in a natural harbour 250 km south of the Strait of Hormuz on the Indian Ocean coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Port Sultan Qaboos' location makes it an ideal hub, not only for the Persian Gulf but also the Indian sub-continent and markets in East and South Africa. The location of Port Sultan Qaboos offers considerable savings in steaming time when compared to other ports. The port's tariff compares very favorably with others across the region. The already impressive infrastructure, skilled manpower, fast and efficient handling operations and documentation clearance system in PSC will be further enhanced this year. During the reign of Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed in the 18th century, Oman's trading activity again increased and the capital area's two harbours — Muscat and Mutrah — diversified, Mutrah was quickly established as a commercial port while Muscat was used for naval operations. The ruler's son Sayyid Said continued to expand maritime commerce although it again went into decline after his death in 1856. Maritime activity was limited to the import of essential items, mainly from India by old-style wooden dhows. Ships had to anchor offshore and sometimes wait for days before cargo could be unloaded manually into small boats. This was all to change with the accession of HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said who inaugurated a new era