The tomb
A four-metre grave under green cloth.
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A small domed shrine on the summit of Jabal Itin, over 700 metres up in the Qara mountains, about 25 km north-west of Salalah by road. Local tradition holds it to be the tomb of the Prophet Ayyub, the biblical Job; inside lies a grave some four metres long under green cloth. Run by the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, it is among Salalah's most visited sites. The Quran praises Job's patience in affliction and tells how he was told to strike the ground with his foot, and a cool spring rose for him to wash in and drink. Local lore links the story to a now-dry hollow by the shrine's entrance, where water is said to have welled up, and to Ain Sharadat, a spring below the summit. Shoes come off at the tomb room's door. A small carpeted prayer room shares its wall; local accounts speak of two qiblas there, one facing Jerusalem, Islam's first direction of prayer. In the hollow by the entrance, walled in cement, are marks in the rock said to be Job's footprints. Gardens surround the shrine, and on clear days the summit looks over Salalah and the valleys of Dhofar. The half-hour drive from Salalah is on a paved road; in the khareef, when crowds peak, fog often covers it, so drive slowly. The walk from the car park tires older visitors. Ain Sharadat lies under a kilometre south-east, down about 500 metres of spiral steps. As the crow flies, Al Baleed is 19 km south-east and Mughsail Beach 35 km south-west.
A four-metre grave under green cloth.
Marks in the rock said to be Job's.
Salalah and Dhofar's valleys on clear days.
Summit of Jabal Itin, about 25 km north-west of Salalah by road
No one can say for certain: the attribution rests on local tradition, and shrines in Turkey and Iraq also claim his grave. Some Muslim scholars hold that the prophets' graves are unknown, except those of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina and Abraham in Hebron.
The khareef, from late June to September, turns the hills green and cool but brings crowds, and thick fog often hides the view. For clear skies and fewer visitors, come between October and April.