Muscat

The Charming City of Muscat

The official capital city of Oman, Muscat, is in fact a combination of three small towns namely Muscat, Matrah and Ruwi because of which it is the largest in the Sultanate. Lying alongside the coast of Gulf of Oman, this city is a part of a long conglomerate of numerous cities and towns which stretch for over 40 kilometres sandwiched between the sea in the north and the barren mountains in the south like an unbroken string of pearls.

In olden times, the city served as an important port in the Arabian Peninsula which accounted for its rapid commercial growth and its ascension to the status being declared as the capital city. However, the medieval appearance is still retained in form of the two Portuguese forts of Jelali and Merani which exist alongside the modern and contemporary buildings. This all makes Muscat an intriguing place to visit.

On an international scale Muscat is well connected by air to most of the prominent cities around the world and its international airport is served by many well known airlines with Oman Air representing the country. There are also domestic flights between Muscat and Salalah a couple of times during the week. Road transport features daily bus services between Muscat and Dubai, taking 6 hours, as it also services to Abu Dhabi, Buraimi, Nizwa, Salalah and few of the other cities in close proximity. Travelling by car is probably one of the best ways of travel between Muscat and the UAE with Hatta and Al Ain being the border areas. It’s not difficult to do – and something you really should consider to split a holiday between Dubai and Muscat.

It is not only Muscat which should be concentrated upon during a visit and travelling to the neighbouring cities and towns flanking the main highway of Sultan Qaboos could be an equally rewarding experience. While Muscat is a walled city and is home to royal palaces, a visit to Matrah would reveal the presence of a charming fishing village by the bay and a maze like formation popularly known as the Matrah Souk. The town of Ruwi was traditionally the commercial centre and has continued to live up its reputation to this day looking after diplomatic aspects as well.

On driving down the Sultan Qaboos highway, something that would be hard to miss is the 50-kilometre long beach extending from Qurum up to Seeb. This beach is symbolic of social contradictions because while on one hand it is dotted with world renowned hotel chains, it also provides one with the opportunity to mingle with the fishermen handling their drag nets. With hot summers, warm winters and scarce rainfall, Muscat as a city depends predominantly on trade for its economy with dates, pearls and fish.