Muscat Sights

  1. Al-Bustan Palace Hotel

    Set in lush gardens, the sumptuous Al-Bustan Palace Hotel was built as a venue for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in 1985. Remarkable for its enormous domed atrium, the hotel has won numerous awards as the best hotel in the Middle East. It's worth coming just to look at the building's interior and the location. It was being refurbished at the time of research and scheduled to re-open in 2008.

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  2. Ghala & Al-Ghubrah

    Also known as the Grand mosque, Ghala & Al-Ghubrah is a glorious piece of modern Islamic architecture. It was a gift to the nation from Sultan Qaboos to mark the 30th year of his reign. Quietly imposing from the outside, the main prayer hall is breathtakingly rich. The Persian carpet alone is 70m x 60m wide, making it the largest carpet in the world; it took 600 women four years to weave.

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  3. Grand Mosque

    This glorious piece of modern Islamic architecture was a gift to the nation from Sultan Qaboos to mark the 30th year of his reign. Quietly imposing from the outside, the main prayer hall is breathtakingly rich. The Persian carpet alone is 70m x 60m wide, making it the largest carpet in the world; it took 600 women four years to weave.

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  4. Muscat Gate Museum

    Straddling the road between the corniche and the old walled city, the Muscat Gate Museum, with the original gates used until the 1970s to keep land-bound marauders out, marks the position of the old city wall and introduces Muscat proper. It is also a vantage point for the Sultan's Palace. A quick climb up to the aerial mast on the neighbouring hill gives an even better view of Mutrah and Muscat.

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  5. Sohar

    Just outside the Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, a small roundabout is home to the Sohar , a boat named after the hometown of the famou Omani seafarer, Ahmed bin Majid. The boat is a replica of one sailed by Abdullah bin Gasm in the mid-8th century to Guangzhou in China. It was built in the dhow yards of Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and four tonnes of rope. Not a single nail was used in the construction.

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  7. Watchtower

    The restored Portuguese Watchtower on a promontory out to sea, half way along the corniche, affords a lovely view out to sea. Access to the staircase is from behind the Al-Inshirah Restaurant. The area is a popular place to catch the evening breeze and is decorated with colourful fountains at night.

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