| FounFo Middle East |
|
|
Travel Tools |
|
|
Muscat Hotels - Information, Online Reservation in Muscat |
| |
| Due to excavations in the Qurum site and the discovery of graveyards, personal belongings such as jewellery, and food remnants dating back to the 6th millennium BC, it is certain that Muscat is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. |
| |
| The area was an important trade centre, its heart being Khor Rori, and around 1400kg of the main export, frankincense, was transported to Greece, Rome, and the Mediterranean. During that period, the Greeks called the Khor Rori area “Muscat.” Today, Khor Rori is an archaeological site in the Dhofar region, at a distance of around 800km from Muscat. |
 |
| |
| At one point in history, the capital of Oman was Zanzibar. Currently, Muscat is the thriving capital; it is also its largest city. The Masqat governorate (sometimes spelled so to differentiate between the governorate and the capital), is divided into three separate regions: the old town which encloses the harbour and port areas, and the sultan’s palace; Muttra, the residential and souk area; and Ruwi, the modern business area. Hotels in Muscat are normally found in the latter two areas. Some of the hotels in Muscat or in cities close by are the Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Radisson SAS Hotel, Sheraton Oman, and the Ramada Qurum Beach Hotel among others. |
| |
 |
Overall, Muscat has a somewhat striking and medieval appearance, especially due to the two Portuguese forts, Jelali and Merani, found along the rocky bay which the city is built around. The presence of modern commercial and residential quarters alongside quaint old buildings gives the city a special setting of its own. Omani crafts, art, and architecture are displayed in the Oman Museum in Muscat. In the city, you can find the Natural History Museum. You can also visit the sultan’s Armed Forces Museum which is in an old fortress. |
|
| |
| The surfacing of the Jebel Ali Free Zone, in Dubai, UAE, which trades around 44 million tonnes of cargo per year, has made Muscat’s main trading port, Mina Sultan Qaboos, a secondary port in the region, with 1.6 million tonnes of exports per year. That doesn’t change the fact that it is a very important trading centre between the Persian Gulf and the Far East. The main exports from Muscat include dates, mother of pearl, frankincense, and fish. |
 |
| You can find these items in the old souks of Muttra and Muscat. Other items you will come across are traditional Omani artefacts. |
| |
|
| |
| The other economy booster is the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) company, which has major famous shareholders, and its production is around 720,000 barrels daily. |
| |
 |
The majority of the citizens are Ibadi Muslims. However, since Muscat has quite a significant expatriate community, there are also some foreign religious minorities of Christians and Hindus. Since people are free to worship within any religion (as long as they don’t propagate it) the city has a Shiva as well as a Krishna temple for Hindus, and two Christian churches in Ruwi. |
|
| |
| In 1995, construction began on a complex in Wilayat Bausher, along a road that links the centre of Muscat to all other cities of the sultanate. In May 2001, this complex emerged as the 416,000 square meter Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The complex comprises an Islamic Studies Centre, a three floor library, a 300 seat conference hall, and two prayer halls. This mosque can accommodate a total of 20,000 worshippers. |
| |
| If you want to get away from the heart of the city, then we advise you to take a 185km trip away from Muscat: there lies Misfat al Arabiyeen, a “taste of heaven on earth.” Situated among mountains, around 915m above sea level, the village is famous for its slanting clay houses built on top of rocks. The surroundings have a wealth of flowers and trees (especially palm tree oases), creating breathtaking scenery. |
 |
|
