Places to visit:

Muttrah souk: Muttrah is a popular district of Muscat, generally crowded, and near the sea. The souk is composed of various shops, which sell mainly : spices, fabric and clothes, Omani traditional items (like silver coffee pots, Omani knifes,and incense.The souk in itself is very lovely with all its passageways and its wooded roof.

Wadi Bani Khalid:

is about 203 km far from Muscat. It is the best-known wadi of the Sharqiyah region. Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. As a geographical area, Wadi Bani Khalid covers a large swathe of low land and mountains.

Hello to my blog "Oman gateway"...I hope that you will enjoy your time with us

Muttrah souk. Muttrah is a popular district of Muscat, generally crowded, and near the sea.

The souk is composed of various shops, which sell mainly : spices, fabric and clothes, Omani traditional items (like silver coffee pots, Omani knifes, and incense .The souk in itself is very lovely with all its passageways and its wooded roof.

Culture in Oman

Oman's culture is based on the fundamental principles of Islam. Muslims are required to pray five times each day after the call to prayer by the Imam. Beautiful, ornate mosques are found throughout the Sultanate, but they are not open to non-Muslim visitors. The holy month of Ramadhan is a time of fasting. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts. Men are required to wear trousers and shirts with sleeves.
Regarding other religions, Oman is very tolerant and there are a number of churches and temples for worshippers of other faiths. Friday is the holy day of rest.

Main Towns in Oman

MUSCAT: Muscat has the best natural harbor along the coast and is the capital of Oman. Many of its buildings date from the 16th century when Portugal occupied this section of Arabia. The old town is still surrounded by its ancient city walls which totally encircle the Sultan's palace.




NIZWA: Lying to the south of the Jebel Akhdar at the start of the great desert plain which dominates much of Oman, Nizwa was the ancient capital of the interior. Today much of the old city's charms remains, with the 17th century tower fort dominating the center of town. Nizwa is famed for its dates and silversmiths.



SOHAR: Sohar is situated on the Batinah coast about two hours drive west of Muscat. It is an ancient port city and one of the oldest towns in Oman. Sohar was the center of Oman's wealthy sea trade with the Arabian Gulf from biblical times until the present century when the new port of Muttrah was built.





SUR: Sur, with its large natural harbor, was the key trading port connecting Oman with the east coast of Africa for centuries. It developed a thriving boat building industry where sturdy ocean going sailing ships, called dhows, where built to service this trade. Although the advent of steam ships heralded the end of this trade, traditional vessels are still made at Sur for the local fishing market.




SALALAH: Salalah is the capital of the southern region of Dhofar. The town grew to prominence thanks to its fertile coastal plain fed by water from the annual monsoon. Today the monsoon has also made Salalah a popular vacation spot for Gulf tourists seeking to avoid the heat of the Arabian summer in the monsoon mists of Salalah and its adjacent mountains.

General Information on the Sultanate

Land Area:309,500 sq. kms

Population:2.325,000

Capital:Muscat

Languages:Arabic, English

Religion:Islam

Time difference:GMT +4 hrs

Electricity:220-240v, 50hz

Currency:Omani Rial,(1 OR = $2.58 US)

Climate:Dry - tropical

Rainfall:10cm (annual avg. Muscat)

Temperature:Autumn/Spring avg. temp 25C

Highest Point:Jebel Shams, 2980m

National Day: November 18

History of Oman

In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.