Muscat, Oman

Saturday, March 26, 2011      83 degrees                               9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

We will sail back through the Strait of Hormuz and once again into the Gulf of Oman.  We then alter course to the southeast and set a course directly toward Muscat.  We dock in Port Sultan Qaboos.  The own of Mutrah is situated on the southwest side of the head of the port and you can see Mutrah Castle on one of the numerous mountain peaks surrounding this harbor. 



Port of Muscat

Piolet's boat leaving the ship

 Muscat (Arabic masquat “cliff”) is a fittig name for a city with such sheer inland boundaries.  A friendly port, centuries-old tradition lingers-even in the shadow of the capital’s highrise towers.  The sprawling city is neatly divided into thee main districts:  Muscat, Mutrah, and Ruwi.  The Sultan’s palace, Royal Courts and government offices form the central district (the old walled port).  Two preserved 16^th Century Portuguese forts – Al Jalali and Mirani – flank the main gate (there are three other carved gates).  Traditional homes and narrow streets scramble below Mutrah Fort in the busy Mutrah commercial center.  There are 2 shopping centers, not metros, no trains, only buses.  An opera house is under construction.

 Muscat is a port the like of which cannot be found in the whole world where there is business and good things   A landscape straight out of The Arabian Nights.  Muscat is both the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman.  Located on the Arabian Sea it was ruled by various factions including both the Persians and the Portuguese Empire. 

On July 23, 1970, Sultan Qaboos bin Said staged a bloodless coup in the Salalah palace with the assistance of the British, took over from his father as ruler, and put an end to the Dhofar uprising which had threatened the area since 1962.  He consolidated the differing tribal territories in an attempt to end the interior’s isolation from Muscat.  Since his ascension in 1970 Muscat has developed rapidly leading to a stimulated economy and a diverse, muti- ethnic population.  The landscape is dominated by the Western Al Hajar Mountains and the economy is driven mostly by petroleum, trade and its port facilities.

Entrance to SultanQaboos grand mosque



Inside grand mosque



We went on a shore excursion “Muscat and the Market”.  Visited Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.  It has 5 minarets representing the 5 “pearls” of muslim.  The carpet on the floor has 2000 flowers in it, all different.  It has the largest crystal chandelier in the world which comes from Italy.  Stained glass windows from France and elaborately carved teakwood doors.  WE then went to Bail Al Zubair Museum where we viewed a private collection of traditional OmaniHeritage items.  This museum is in Old Muscat.  We viewed Fort Jalal which is still used for military purposes and not opened to the public.  We visited the Sultans Palace (Qasr Al Alam) Bougainvillea adds colorful red and purple high-lights to the whitewashed walls.    Our last stop was the Mutrah Souq where we purchased frankincense and myrrah.  The Mutrah souq is one of the best traditional markets in Arabia.

Mutrah Souq