Travel guideHistorySightsNightlifeMap

Muscat Sights and Landmarks Guide, Oman

Muscat is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East making it a witness to several important occurrences in history. The proof of such rich heritage is found all over the city. Several buildings, museums, palaces and gardens are strategically placed in the city much to the delight of both local and foreign guests. Being predominantly an Islamic nation, Oman is also basked with numerous old and enormous mosques as testament of the importance of religion to the general populace. A number of these mosques can be found in the capital city of Oman.

One popular destination is Muscat is the Al Jalali Fort and Al Mirani fort located in Qasr Al Alam Street. It was built during Portuguese occupation as prisons and has now been converted into museums that open to anybody. The Corniche area is one of the areas that have undergone recent renovations. It is the perfect backdrop for photographs with a number of restaurants lined in its streets up for the choosing of the guests. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is the third largest mosque in the whole world housing an intricate art of a mixture of Swarovski crystal chandelier, the largest handmade Persian carpet in the world and the marble paneling. Most of this complex is open for public viewing but there are specific rules to be imposed. The Mutrah Souk is tagged as the best on that side of the Arabian Gulf and it includes a fish markets, and stalls for jewelry, traditional Omani handicrafts and Omani food. All of these come in the most affordable prices.

Qasr Al Alam Royal Palace is the official office of the ruler of the Sultanate of Oman. It stands on the head of the water harbor with two forts plank on either side of it. Although, it is not open for public viewing, one can take a peek at its grandeur via the gate and take pictures from there. The Bait az-Zubair Museum is the testament to the rich social history of Oman. It houses special artifacts and geological gifts from the past. The Riyam Park was once featured in the program Amazing Race and is home to an Arabian watchtower.

There are still other almost never featured treasures of Muscat that do not share the limelight of its sister sights. You will only get to enjoy it when you set foot on the island itself. From then on, the breeze of the rich culture, that is Oman, will strike you like a venom making you want for more.