Salalah is the capital city of Oman's southern Dhofar region. It is the second largest city in the Sultanate, and has the distinction of being the Sultan Qaboos' birthplace. For most visitors, Salalah is the gateway to Oman’s most southerly governate of Dhofar – a historically independent, and culturally and ecologically unique region. As the traditional regional capital, the city’s history stretches back two millennia, when, thanks to its strategic location, it was an important stop on the frankincense and silk trading routes. In the 19th century the region was incorporated into the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, and Salalah served as the country’s capital from 1932 until the accession of Sultan Qaboos in 1970, who relocated the capital to Muscat. Salalah was the Sultan’s birthplace in 1940, and his mother was a member of a prominent regional Jebbali tribe; to this day the Sultan maintains close ties to the city. Today Salalah is still known for the cultivation and trade of frankincense (albeit now on a smaller scale), and is famous for its summer khareef (monsoon) and annual Salalah Festival, when visitors flock to the region to escape the blazing hot temperatures elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula. As lodging and eating establishments outside the city are scarce, it serves as a useful and interesting base for travellers wanting to explore the wider area at any time of year