Muscat

Oman's capital enchants visitors in a way that no other city in the Gulf can even begin to match. Maybe it's because Muscat doesn't have that slightly artificial feel which typifies so much of the rest of the region. Muscat, Mutrah and Ruwi are the capital's core districts.

Muscat, the old port area, is the site of the sultan's main palace and a fascinating place to wander around, but has few shops and sights except for the old city walls. Mutrah, just north-west of Muscat, is the main trading and residential port area. Ruwi is the capital's modern commercial district.

Muscat has a number of beautiful beaches such as Qurum Beach, Bandar Al-Jissah and Yeti. Public gardens and parks are everywhere with Qurum Natural Park, Riam and Kalbouh being the most polular.

Salalah

The city of Salalah, the administrative capital of Dhofar Governorate, lies on the Arabian Sea, around 1,040 Km from Muscat. The city has been subject to many historical and archaeological studies over the years and evidence has been found in the form of writing, inscriptions and signs indicating that a number of different civilisations have succeeded each other here, such as the ruins of Al-Blaid and Samhuram ancient cities.

The city also encapasses Nabi Ayoub (Jacob) Tomb, housed in a small destictive doomed building surrounded by green hills as well as the Tomb of Prophit Omran.

Not all the sights in Salalah belong to the past, however. The city contains stunning beaches and steep, mountainous landscapes. The city has also a number of springs such as Ain Sahnot, Ain Rzat and Ain Hamran, around which the parks and gardens were setup. Salalah is quickly developing as a tourist resort and is attracting a number of international hotel chains like Hilton and Crowne Plaza.

Sohar

The city is an attractive region for tourists due to its clean, safe beaches and the plethora of archaeological features. One of the first references to 'Sohar' is in the work of historian, Yaqut Al-Hamawi who implies that the city took its name in the 6th century AH from a descendent of Noah: Sohar bin Adam bin Sam bin Noah. When the Palestinian Arab scholar Muqadisi visited the city in the 10th century AH, he described it as a "flourishing city with a large number of people living there. It is a beautiful city with a comfortable life, ...and its mosque overlooks the sea ... the Mihrab changes colour because it is covered in copper...".

Sohar Castle is one of the most prominent features in the city, alongside the magnificant roundabouts and beautiful public parks. Sohar is under tourist development and a number of deluxe hotels have now been built. A new port is under construction in the city, being built at a cost of OMR 120 million, and it will be home to the largest oil refinary in the Sultante. Sohar has many wadis with running water, such as Wadi Hibi, Wadi Ahin and Wadi Al-Jizzi.

Nizwa

Nizwa is famous for its bustling souq where tourists can buy exquisite copper and silver jewellery and other craft items. The souq is situated next to the castle and was renovated in the 1990's, costing OMR 2.5 million. The design of the souq compliments the castle in every way, and has been constructed using same traditional materials. In 1993, Nizwa won the award of 'Organisation of Arab Cities'.

There are around 90 afalaj in the area, the most important being Falaj Daris; the life maintainer of Nizwa gardens and the water supplier for all domestic purposes. The Wadi Tanuf Dam, completed in 1989, is designed to increase the supply of subterranean water which feeds the afalaj of Daris and Tanuf. The increased supply has led to an expansion in the agricultural area. The dam is 135m long and is located on the watercourse of Wadi Tanuf which is famous in the Middle East for its mineral water.

Sur

The name of Sur is thought to be derived from the city of Sur in south Lebanon (Tyre). Sur played a major part in the trade between Oman, East Africa, and India. A variety of goods were imported and exported through its port. It was one of the renowned centres for shipbuilding in the country, with great ocean going, high-sterned baghala and ghanja ships in continuous production. The division between Oman and Zanzibar in 1861, and the arrival of the British India Steam Navigation Company which operated between India and the Gulf, had a deleterious effect on the trading activities of the port, which thus affected the shipbuilding industry. Seven boatyards are now operated by the private sector, and craftsmen still use the traditional methods of shipbuilding to create ocean-going vessels. However, the tall ships are no longer made.

The Sur Maritime Museum charts the history of shipbuilding in the town. With its strong seafaring connections, it is hardly surprising that the legendary sailor, Sinbad, is thought to have originated there. A replica of the type of boat Sinbad sailed is situated in the Al-Bustan roundabout in Muscat.