Stunning structures
Qurum
Beach
The Muscat Opera House demands attention
with its beauty. The palm trees swaying around and the hills enhance its charm.
This attractive white complex witnesses many concerts and ballet shows and is
one of the favourite tourist hang-outs. A little further is the Qurum Beach
with a large stretch of sand that lines its frothy waters. With hotels like the
Shangrila close by, it is always populated by tourists enjoying water sports.
From here too, you can take a boat tide to the land of dolphins and turtles. There
are many such beaches in Muscat, frequented not just by tourists but also
locals.
To explore Muscat further, it is best to go
on a half day tour of the city. The first stop on such a tour is Sultan Qaboos
Grand Mosque, which is a lovely structure inside-out. Built in sandstone and
embellished with marble, it is named after the present Sultan of Oman.
Inaugurated in 2001, the mosque has a prayer carpet that covers 4,343 sq.
meters! It weighs 21 tonnes and has 28 shades of colours. No wonder it took four
vears and numerous stretch of art that is also the second largest carpet in the
world. To light up this exquisite carpet is a chandelier made with Italian
Murano flass and Swarovski crystals that is 14 metres tall.
Another monument worth admiring is the Sultan’s
Al Alam palace. Visitors can walk around the palace but are not allowed to
enter it. Its entrance gates are colourful and artistic. Located near the
Muscat bay, it is surrounder by two forts, Al Mirani and Al Jalali that face
one another but are separated by the sea. Every morning and evening, cannon
shos are fired from the forts signalling the start and end of the day. Walking
from the palace towards the forts, one can have a breathtaking view of the
harbour.
Even
today cannons are fired from the Al Jalali Fort every morning and evening to
mark the beginning and end of a day
To familiarise yourself with the history of
Oman, its culture and rulers, a visit to the Muscat Gate Museum and Bait al
Zubair is recommended. While Bait al Zubair has a vast collection of costumes,
weapons, jewellery and household items apart from the portrait gallery of the
Sultans, the Muscat Gate Museum chronicles Oman’s history from the Neolithic
times to the present day.
Captivating caves, moving mountains
To admire more natural and man-made marvels
of Oman, take a day trip to visit Nizwa [the ancient capital of Oman], Al hoota
Caves and Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams. Situated at the foot of the Hajar
mountains, Nizwa’s historic fort houses the widest tower of the country. Standing
40 metres tall and 50 meters wide, this tower is a land-mark of the city,
climbing the narrow staircases to the tower and viewing the scene from above is
fascinating. Below is the Nizwa Handicraft market with a beautiful display of
clay pots, copper vessels and silverware. Well-crafted silver jewellery is a
speciality.
The
Nizwa Fort stands tall proudly carrying Oman’s flag on its crown
As you drive out of Nizwa and drive towards
Jebel Shams, you will pass through palm-filled oases and ancient villages. Your
guide may suggest a stop over at the village of Misfah, a heritage village of
mud houses and terraced gardens filled with trees like palm, plantain, dates
and lime. At the foot of Jebel Shams, are the Al Hoota Caves, a natural wonder
and thr first tourist cave in the gulf region. A toy train takes you to the
entrance of the cave. Once you enter, you are in a wonderland of stalagmite and
stalactite formations in every shape and size. Safe walking pathways will lead
you into the dim-lit interiors of the cave. Photography is prohibited inside as
it may disturb the bats and other smaller animals inhabiting the place. And at
the centre of the cave is an artificial lake that houses the rare blind fish.
From here the drive up to Jebel Shams is
exciting. Going up the winding roads with barren hills on either side is
thrilling. The Grand Canyon of this mountain also known as Wadi Nakhur is an
amazing natural marvel. No picture can compensate for the fabulous view that
you can have of the canyons from above. Adventure sports enthusiasts can
indulge in abseiling [rock climbing technique] here but only under the guidance
of a trainer. Tourists can stay in the Jebel Shams resort to enjoy views of the
mountains and canyons at leisure.
Jebel Akhdar is the other mountain range
referred to as the ‘Green Mountain.’ Driving up to this mountain you can
observe slopes and terraces that are covered in vegetation throughout the year.
Oman is the land of such mountains as well as wadis, palm groves, caves and
forts, a land filled with marvellous structures and real scenery. As they
rightly point out in Oman, beauty has an address!
Did you know?
Muscat,
Oman
Oman has declared 2012 as its Tourism year
and Muscat has been chosen as the choice tourist destination of the Middle
East. To lure tourists and make their trip to Oman pleasurable, Oman Air, the
offical airlines of Oman, is offering attractive tracel packages to tourists.
Whenever you decide to travel to any destination in 2012 via Muscat, Oman Air
can arrange your hotel accommodation for a maximum of three nights and four
days. If you book in a hotel for one night you can get another night free. And
if you show your hotel booking receipt, you can get a visa on arrival at the
airport for 5 Omani rials.
