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Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Click on the pictures to enlarge
Muscat is a wonderful small-scale city in the parched coast of Oman near the Tropic of Cancer. Only since the early 1990s has Oman been "open" to tourism, although the Sultan is taking steady action to make the country appealing to tourists, such as liberalizing entry requirements and building tourist facilities. Like Bhutan, the country tries hard to keep out the backpacker set. About 50,000 tourists visited in 2000, meaning that the wonderful forts and markets are uncrowded. The country's long, unspoiled beaches, dramatic mountains, and lack of the artificial nouveau-riche atmosphere separate it from other gulf countries. As Oman is one of the world's best-kept travel secrets and almost totally insulated from the violence elsewhere in Arabia, Royal Dutch Shell executives in the UK consider an assignment in Oman a "plum job."
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The morning in Muscat is somewhat foggy, but the wonderful view around the city and the cool temperatures (upper 80s or low 90s) are worth getting up early. This is the Gulf of Oman; across the Gulf is Iran. (Daytime temperatures are around 100 degrees with high humidity.) |
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Muscat is actually three small towns laid out along a corniche that is breathtaking in its understatement. Settled for over 2000 years, the city became important when the Portuguese declared it their stronghold in Arabia. When Arabs reconquered Muscat in two decades later in 1650, the Portuguese colonial era in Arabia ended. The Mutrah neighborhood features Arabia's best souk ("market"), or what used to be called a bazaar. From the beginning of civilization until the oil boom, most of Arabia's wealth came from trading, and the marketplaces not yet ruined by tourists are fascinating places to wander about. It was here that I found a great piece of silver as a wedding present, some traditional frankincense fragrance, and an old Omani teapot. In fact, almost anything from electronics to dishdishas (traditional robes) to Oriental spices can be purchased in the souk. |
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The solitary watchtowers that overlook the ocean and bay are one of the coolest things in Oman. Unlike the medieval fortresses, these have thin walls with very small openings for eyes and a gun, as most were built after 1850. Many are still used by the police/military. |
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The palace of Sultan Qaboos. Although the country was peacefully granted independence from Britain in 1971, the Sultan is an absolute monarch in the old-fashioned sense. |
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A creek flows from the mountains and the Medinat Qaboos district. |
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There is a neat little island on the left in this picture. One can determine the humidity (high, very high, or completely soaking) by observing how visible the island is. |
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Unlike many other cities set in coastal mountain areas, the mountains in central Muscat sometimes come directly to the sea. |
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Groups of young men organize evening soccer matches on the beach. Mounds of sand or sticks in the beach mark the goals and bounds of play. |
>> Next Page: The Road to Nizwa >> |
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