Muscat, Oman … an absolute monarchy where the monarch is adored absolutely.

Oman is almost an anomaly among the major Islamic nations. It appears to be as progressive as Dubai while retaining the charm of both the old and often blustery new. We had a whirlwind half-day tour of several of Muscat’s major sites and we are already contemplating a return.

Until about 1970 Oman was just another sand pile on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Then came Sultan Qaboos, now 75 and ailing. In less than 40 years he brought infrastructure, education, and an enviable standard of living to a country no one had ever heard of for centuries (of course, he had to depose his Father to do it…). Oman has a population of about 4.3 million, of whom only about 2.3 million are Omanis. The rest, as in most of the middle east, are guest workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China. Muscat, the capital, is home to almost half the country’s population – about 2 million.

The Sultan brought the country into the 20th Century by dint of hard work to convince the rival tribal elders that internecine warfare and squabbling would lead nowhere. Along with liberal applications of oil money, after 1964 when oil was discovered, and the use of personal funds. The Omanis adore him and there is no question that he is keen on retaining that love.

The map above indicates the major sites we visited: the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque; the Bait Al Zubair Museum; and, the Souk, or marketplace. The blue star is about where the ship was docked. The Royal Muscat Opera House is also located on the map (about midway between the mosque and the souk). The ship was offering a complementary tour of the opera house for World Cruisers, but we opted for a more in-depth introduction. It turned out to be a wise choice.

A few exterior shots of the Grand Mosque.

 

For starters, the Sultan has built, from his personal fortune, the largest and most ornate mosque in the middle east outside of Mecca. We were privileged to tour it in the early morning before it was closed for the day to outsiders not of the Muslim faith.

Before we could enter we had to remove our shoes and both men and women were inspected as we passed through the doorway to assure that we were dressed appropriately: no shoes; head scarves for the women; no short sleeves, shorts, tank tops, “bad” language on T-shorts; no tattoos showing.

Our first look was at the opulent grounds and the lavatorium. All Muslim men must pray five times daily in a mosque, unless physically unable. The women are welcome to do so, but may choose to pray at home rather than at a mosque. The ritual of worship involves assuring that both the body and mind are clean and ready to present to their prophet. As non-Muslims, we did not have to wash – besides we were there to look, not pray.

Ahmed demonstrated the proper way to prepare for prayer by going through the entire washing ritual. It took him about three minutes and they do it every time before they pray.

After the lavatorium, we were shown to the women’s prayer room. Women and men are separated, as in some other faiths (think Orthodox Jews). The women’s room is smaller than the main prayer room because, as I mentioned earlier, they may opt to pray at home. That room only holds about 2000. We then made our way to the men’s prayer room in the main hall of the mosque. That room can hold over 6000 people.

Think of any word or words to describe something that is almost indescribable: fabulous; breath-taking; over-the-top; amazing. We were just speechless. Here are a few pictures to try to convey the magnificence of this structure.

The Swarovski crystal chandelier weight almost eight tons. The carpet took 400 Iranian women about six years to complete. The marble is from Carrera, Italy.

 

After we left the mosque and on the way to our next stop, our delightful Omani guide, Ahmed (pronounced ach-med) showed us how to tie a head scarf in the distinctive Omani style. I never knew that it started with a small cap under the scarf as a foundation. Each country and major region has its own way of wearing the headgear. That is one way they can immediately distinguish one tribe from another – a ready way to determine if the stranger you were meeting on a dune was a friend or an enemy.

The next stop was to be a short break for “juice” and a “biscuit.” We made our way via the bus to a charming indoor/outdoor restaurant called Kargeen in the heart of the old city. We were shown to the indoor, air-conditioned part and served a small buffet of samosas, spring rolls, falafel, and pizza-dough-like concoction filled with grilled vegetables. This was accompanied by a bright green liquid that turned out to be “lemon and mint.” So much for “juice and biscuits” and a terrific introduction to the Omani reputation for extraordinary hospitality.

We rolled out of the restaurant ready for a nap, but were taken next to the main souk in the center of the old city. What a great way to walk off a thousand-calorie mid-morning snack… We did shop for a _shirt for me and a fancy blouse or evening jacket for Bonnie, but given the time constraints, we didn’t get anything. We did manage to snag post cards and a fridge magnet on the way out, so it was not a total loss.

On the way to our next stop we took a slight detour to a hilltop overlook to get a really neat view of the old city from on high.

The fort on the hill to the left above is a remnant from a short-lived Portuguese occupation in the 18th Century.

 

We then had some time to browse the Bait Al Zubair Museum. This was at one time the private home of a family close to the Sultan’s family. On the death of the last surviving member, the heirs converted it to a museum showcasing the history and accoutrements of Oman. Fascinating!

We were not permitted to take any pictures once inside. The goats scattered around the outside arte akin to our alligators, cows, turtles, etc. that are used for local artists to decorate and sell for charity.

 

Finally, we made a short photo stop at the Al Alam Royal Palace. This 1970s throwback is only used as a ceremonial location for the Sultan to meet with other heads of state. He actually lives somewhat more modestly several kilometers away.

You can tell that this is a throwback to the 1970s, but it is magnificent

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He does have a little runabout in the harbor in case he wants to spend some time on the water. The Al Said, the fourth largest private yacht in the world, is 509' long, 79' beam, and 17' draft. It displaces 15,850 tons and can cruise at 15 knots with a maximum speed of 25 knots. The ship sleeps 70 guests and has a crew of 154. Care to take a jaunt over the weekend to, say, Zanzibar...

Next stop, Salalah, Oman. Where? Way down south near Yemen. Stay tuned…