Beaches in Oman

Beaches

Sub Section: Beaches Wadis Falajs

     With a coastline of 1700km, Oman offers some of the cleanest, most stunning beaches a visitor could hope to see. Few beaches are private, except some attached to the beach resort hotels, or those adjoining military or official property. Weekend picnics and barbeques are popular on the beach. Many coves are perfect for snorkelling and with fairly gentle shelves, are good for children. Some of the beaches in the Muscat capital area include:

Aviation Beach, or Shell Beach,

     Which is located near the Civil Aviation Club in Al Azaiba. A four-wheel drive vehicle is necessary to get down to the water's edge. It is abundant in starfish, crabs and exotic shells.

Qurum Beach

     Qurum Beach, below the Crowne Plaza Hotel, is well set up for visitors and has a number of picnic areas and palm shades. When the tide is low, one can take a 4km walk towards the Embassies' area in Shati Al Qurum. Approximately half way along this stretch of beach is the Muscat InterContinental hotel. Around this area are many jetski rentals.

 

 

Bandar Jissah

     Bandar Jissah is located near Qantab, on the way to Al Bustan. The bay is quite secluded and the rocks at the foot of the cliffs can be good for exploring when the tide is out. Snorkelling is popular here. There is also a children's playground and snack shop.

 

 

Marjan Beach

      Marjan Beach,  near Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), is quiet during the day, but tends to get livelier in the early evenings. It has some small coral reefs, perfect for the novice snorkeller, as one doesn't have to swim too far out before seeing the likes of clown fish, parrot fish, sea cucumbers and occasionally, turtles and rays. Local fishermen can be seen spearing cuttlefish.

Other beaches...

 

forts in muscat

Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts in Muscat

The beautiful city of Muscat is bounded by rugged mountains on one side and bubbling sea waves on the other. Other than these natural gifts, there are also a lot of place to go sightseeing in Muscat . The fine architecture of Muscat and its cultural traditions that are reflected in the nooks and corners of the city draw a lot of tourist as well. There are a lot to see in the city of Muscat. Starting from Muscat museums to the various parks, gardens and mansions, everything adds to the beauty of the city. The Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts in Muscat are two of the places that is really a sight to behold.
The Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts of Muscat are located on the mountains close to the harbor. Tourists love taking photographs of these two forts. They were built way back during the Portuguese regime and at present belong to the Muscat army. Tourists are not easily allowed inside the forts but they can easily take pictures from outside.
The Al Jalali Fort in Muscat has wooden doors curved in the ancient style. Inside there are rare pieces of art like rug weaving from Ibri, metal works and fine examples of pottery. The whole place is a wonderful piece of art and architecture that will keep you spell bound.
The Al Mirani Fort in Muscat is the twin fort adjacent to the Al Jalali Fort and is another magnificent piece of architecture. There is an electric elevator in the fort, but going up by the spiral stairway can be a much better experience.
The Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts in Muscat is located by the harbor in the Arabian Sea. This part of the sea has extensive marine life and the waters are a calm turquoise. Inside the forts you will find traces of Omani history like old swords and war costumes.
Canons are fired at the Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts in Muscat to announce the beginning and end of a day.

The waters lapping at the shores below the Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts in Muscat are a brilliant blue and this part of the Arabian Sea is really a picturesque place to watch the silent crimson sunset.

muscat in the past

Muscat - History

Oman's 12,000 years old civilization is still evident all over the country. Over 500 forts, castles and towers in diverse architectural styles. are proud witnesses to a glorious past. A wide collection of historical books and manuscripts are on display for the history buff. Vestiges of Oman's prehistoric past indicating the presence of nomads who were hunters and gathers, go as gar back as 13,000 BC. Amr Ibn Alas, the companion of the prophet Mohammed arrived in Oman to preach the word of Allah in AD 630, leading to Islam becoming the state religion. The current reigning dynasty of the Al Bu Said began with Ahmad Bin Said coming to power in 1744.

Muscat has been the capital of Oman for the past two centuries, since the third Al Bu Said ruler established his residence there in the 1780s. Until 1970 its name was woven into that of the country, "Muscat and Oman". A name with so much fame, one feels, should belong to a sizable place. Yet in the case of Muscat this is not so; the old town is less than a kilometer long by half a kilometer wide.

It is no less impressive for all that: an unforgettable little gem of a place tightly enclosed in its rocky bay by barren brown-black mountains. And the bay itself is as picturesque as the town, a horseshoe of deep blue water surrounded by rocky promontories and islets, all but hidden from the open sea. "There was something soothing and magical about that old city at night", wrote James Morris 30 years ago.

The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture is responsible for the preservation of Oman's antiquities and traditional handicrafts. To this end, the Ministry has renovated a beautiful 18th century house in Muscat, and this building, Bait Nadir, now contains a fine collection of early Omani artefacts.

Items of silverware are among the most popular of the museum's exhibits. This intriguing collection contains coffee pots, rosewater sprinklers, kohl containers, incense burners, curved daggers, toothpicks, tweezers and containers for the Qur'an.

Beautiful silver Bedouin jewellery is a particular highlight of the collection, consisting of silver chains, belts and bracelets. Many of these are set with colourful, semi-precious stones, such as amber, pearl, coral, garnet, cornelian and agate. Bracelets follow one of two main designs -- either doughnut-shaped, or flat with spikes. The former design, known as zanud, was often filled with metal filings, which rattled as the wearer moved.

Omani silversmiths employed various decorative techniques, such as engraving, piercing and filigree work, resulting in ornate and intricate designs. Most of these techniques are extremely ancient, dating back to about 2000BC.

Indian folk art exerted considerable influence on Omani silverware, as did the art of other trading nations, such as Greece, Byzantium and Persia. One popular geometric design featuring diamond shapes probably came from Sana'a in North Yemen, and another featuring leaves and stems in spiralling patterns had its origin in 10th century China.

Other examples of Oman's colourful past include collections of rugs, saddlebags, cloaks and camel straps. Both men and women on simple ground looms wove these. Plaiting these strips together made donkey and camel straps. The museum of Bait Nadir also contains examples of pottery, woodcarving and basketwork.

Archaeological evidence suggests that man from the dawn of history settled the Muscat area. A site excavated in the Wattayah district of Muscat in 1981 was estimated to be 9615 years old, indicating that man had lived in this region since the first Stone Age.

Subsequent excavations revealed that man in the Bronze Age inhabited the area while the archaeological remains in the Ras Al Hamra district of Muscat indicate that the inhabitants in the 3rd century BC were fishermen with a highly developed lifestyle. Other districts of Muscat such as Bausher are also rich in archaeological sites.

For many centuries Muscat has been renowned throughout the world for its maritime trade. In 1490 the well-known Omani navigator Ahmad ibn Majid described Muscat as a port without equal in shipping and sailing activity.

However, the history of Muscat actually goes back to several centuries before the rise of Islam. Omani Arabs of Yemeni decent who planted palms and other trees, which were watered by, wells settled Muscat. From this, we infer that Muscat was one of the ancient cities founded by migrating Arabs, either before or after the destruction of the Maarib dam.

In 1507 the Portuguese arrived in this region and occupied some of the coastal areas of Oman. They clearly realized that possession of the straits of Hormuz and Muscat meant control of the Arabian Gulf and trade between the Arabian Peninsula and Persia, Iraq and Syria as well as between Europe and India. They, therefore, constructed well-structured forts and defences in Muscat. They were finally driven out of Muscat and Oman in 1650.

Muscat extended for half a mile or so along the coast between Fort Mirani and Fort Jalali and was bounded by a wall whose gates were locked at sunset following the firing of the warning cannon shot. This practice continued till recent times. The streets of Muscat were about 10 feet wide and covered with palm fronds for protection from the heat.

All this was in the past, prior to 1970. With the coming to the throne of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos the face of Muscat changed. Rapid development and expansion of the city took place and the city grew in extent by leaps and bounds. A cursory comparison of the old and new buildings shows the extent of change. However, all efforts are made to retain selected old structures for their architectural value and link with the past.

The souk was the marketplace with each trading activity allocated a specific area. The houses of the wealthy were of two and three stories surrounded by a courtyard. Internal walls were of bamboo with white decorated ceilings. The floors were covered with carpets and mats. The population of Muscat in the 1 830s was between 10,000 and 12,000. The opportunity for commerce and avenues for material wealth attracted most of the population.

Muscat's economy

Muscat's economy, like that of Oman, is dominated by trade. The more traditional exports of the city included dates, mother of pearl, and fish. Many of the souks of Muttrah sell these items and traditional Omani artefacts. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has been central to Muscat's economy since at least 1962 and is the country's second largest employer, after the government. PDO's major shareholders include Royal Dutch/Shell, Total, and Partex and its production is estimated to be about 720,000 barrels per day (114,000 m³/d). Muscat also has major trading companies such as Suhail Bahwan, which is a trading partner for corporations such as Toshiba, Subaru, Seiko, Hewlett Packard, General Motors, RAK Ceramics; Saud Bahwan Group whose trading partners are Toyota, Daihatsu and Hertz Rent-a-Car; and Zubair Automotive whose trading partners include Mitsubishi, and Chrysler brands such as Dodge. The private Health Care sector of Muscat,Oman has numerous hospitals and clinics.
The Muscat Securities Market is the principal stock exchange of Oman. It is located in Central Business District of Muscat and it was established in 1988, and has since distinguished itself as a pioneer among its regional peers in terms of transparency and disclosure regulations and requirements.
Mina Sultan Qaboos, Muscat's main trading port, is a trading hub between the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and the Far East with an annual volume of about 1.6 million tons. However, the emergence of the Jebel Ali Free Zone in neighboring Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has made that port the premier maritime trading port of the region with about 44 million tons traded in cargo annually. Many infrastructural facilities are owned and operated by the government of Oman. Omantel is the major telecommunications organization in Oman and provides local, long-distance and international dialing facilities and operates as the country's only ISP. Recent liberalization of the mobile telephone market has seen the establishment of a second provider — Nawras.^{[citation needed]}

The airline Oman Air has its head office on the grounds of Muscat International Airport.^[27]

Muscat

Muscat (Arabic: مسقط, Masqaṭ) is the capital and largest city of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797^[1]. The metropolitan area spans approximately 1,500 km² (580 sq mi) and includes six wilayats. Known since the early 1st century CE as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians and the Portuguese Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochis and Gujaratis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.

The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum and porting.

Muscat will host the 2010 Asian Beach Games in December.