Muscat Tourism

Muscat Holiday Planner

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Muscat, the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman, is the largest city with a population of six lacs as per the census of 2005. The city located at the edge of the Arabian Peninsula with its amazing green with the main streets lined by trees and traffic circles decorated by beautiful flowers that make the so called desert a "green valley". The currency of Oman is the Omani Rial. Arabic is the most widely spoken Language of Muscat and is also the official language. Since the place is inhabited by a mixed group of people English is used as a common language of communication.

Muscat is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East had its origin in the second century AD. It was situated very close to the main trading center near the Dhofar region. Vasco da gama the first of the foreigners who landed in Oman during his voyage to India. The Portuguese, however, stepped in to take a control over Muscat in 1507 only to be driven out in 1649 by Imam Sultan Bin Saif.
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History of Muscat

Muscat which is located at the edge of the Arabian Peninsula comprises of three major towns - Muscat, Matruh and Ruwi . However, the distance between these towns are pretty long. There is plenty of things to do and see in and around Muscat. The Population of Muscat presents a mixed one comprising of Arabs, the Banians from Western India, Beloochees from Makran, Abyssinians, Somali, Nubians and Persians.

Volcanic rocks are abundant in the Muscat area, and are composed of serpentine and diorite. Plutonic rocks constitute the hills and mountains of Muscat and span approximately 30 miles from Darsait to Ras Jissah.

Popular tourist destinations in Muscat

national museum
National museum

The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman, established by royal decree in 2013 and opened July 30, 2016, is the Sultanate's flagship cultural institution, showcasing the nation’s heritage from the earliest human settlement in the Oman Peninsula some two million years ago through to the present day.

sultan-qaboos
Sultan Qaboos

It is one of the most beautiful and extravagant modern mosques in the world.The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is the main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman, located in the capital city of Muscat.

al-jalali-fort
Al jalali fort

Al Jalai Fort, or Ash Sharqiya Fort, is a fort in the harbor of Old Muscat, Oman. The fort was built by the Portuguese under Philip I of Portugal in the 1580s to protect the harbor after Muscat had twice been sacked by Ottoman forces. It fell to Omani forces in 1650.

natural-history
Oman Natural History

The Natural History Museum of Oman is a natural history museum, located at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture complex, Al Khuwair, opposite the Zawawi Mosque in Muscat, Oman

Shopping

  • Old Muttrah Souk: Place for the tourists with variety of shops. All the shops are known to provide exclusive and unique items. The Open air Market place has added an extra color to the Muscat Shopping. The visitors can choose from the local crafts and also European products such as clothes and perfume. Shopping in Muscat allows the visitors to explore authentic Arabic products such as Arabic rugs, Middle Eastern souvenirs, oriental crafts, incense burners and other commodities.
  • City Center Mall: Located in the Al Khod place. It is one of the most favored shopping spot in Muscat. Here shopping becomes enjoyable and it is good activity to relax form stress. In the mall one can find Chilli's restaurant, Starbucks Cafe Costa, Cafe Food court with Fast food. The visitors can stopover and buy makeup, garments for men and women and also accessories.
  • Bhaja Shopping Mall: is another shopping complex which has made Marketing in Muscat. Bhaja consists a big shopping area and it is one of the newly constructed malls in Muscat. It consists of 3 floors including shops, a recreation center, a food court, a movie theatre complex, ten pin bowling and market place. The visitors can walk around and pick clothes from the clothing shops, have the Wi-Fi in the internet café and the pharmacy in need.
  • Dolphin Boat Trips: This is quite interesting among children's who enjoy seeing dolphins. There are numerous dolphins in the Gulf of Oman. These dolphins are a pleasure and worth to watch, splashing at the waters out here.

Places to visit

  • Quram Natural Park: The Park is the largest in the whole city of Muscat. The aim of this park was to bring into use the natural and topographical features of the area to create a peaceful park for the visitors. The park has the bag of success because of its unique location and artistic design.
  • Riyam Park: The Park is built on several heights giving it a uniqueness of its own. It is located in Muttrah. The park has wide green areas, lots of children games and playgrounds. It is a sprawling place with an enormous incense burner structure which when climbed gives spectacular views of the surrounding cliffs and the nearby harbor.
  • Al Naseem Public Park: The Al Naseem Public Park is the first park to be established in Oman. It was inaugurated during the celebrations of the 15th National Day in 1985. Facilities range from small train with capacity of 70 passengers touring the whole area and playgrounds for football, volleyball and tennis. There is a library which is of the good source. There is also a Japanese garden, an Arabic garden and a mini falaj system.
  • The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque: is another wonder of this beautiful city of Oman. It is the third largest mosque in the world and one of the finest arts works in the whole city.

Transportation

buses
buses: Buses connect Muscat to distant cities and to locations within the city as well. The Oman National Bus Company will take you to destinations as distant as Dubai. Within the city, the local bus transportation is quite affordable, though the quality of the ride varies from bus to bus.
metro
Trains: There are no mainline railways in Oman, but some are planned, including links to adjacent countries. The narrow gauge Al Hoota Cave Train takes tourists into the cave complex in a journey of 4 minutes and distance of 400m. The estimated total length of the future Oman National Railway network is 2,135km.
airports
Airports: Muscat International Airport, formerly known as Seeb Airport, is the main airport in Oman and the hub for Oman Air. It is a small airport, though it is under expansion. All passengers disembark from their flights on the tarmac before taking buses to the reception hall.

Visa Information

Indian Embassy at Muscat
Consulate General of India Level 1, 265 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 (New South Wales), Australia
Telephone (+968) 24684500
Fax (+968) 24698291 (General)/ +968 - 2469 2791 (Consular)/ +968 - 2468 4546 (Community Welfare)
Timings Consulate working hours:08.30 a.m – 05.00 p.m (Sunday – Thursday, except closed Holidays)
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Indian Travel Insurance

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