Oman

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.

Before the 20th century

The 2nd-century geographer Ptolemy mentioned a 'concealed harbour' - perhaps the first documented reference to Muscat - and the settlement's location, surrounded on three sides by mountains, made it all but inaccessible from the land. Indeed, the supposed original settlers, Arab tribes from Yemen, almost certainly approached from the sea.

Little is known about the early days of Muscat, except that it grew into a small port in the 14th and 15th centuries. Although it gained importance as a freshwater staging post, it was eclipsed by the busier port of Sohar. By the beginning of the 16th century, however, Muscat gathered momentum as a trading port in its own right, used by merchant ships bound for India. Inevitably it attracted the attention of the Portuguese, who conquered the town in 1507. The city walls were constructed at this time (a refurbished set remains in the same position), but neither the walls nor the two Portuguese forts of Mirani and Jalali could prevent the Omani reconquest of the town in 1650 - an event that effectively ended the Portuguese era in the Gulf.

Modern history

Muscat became the capital of Oman in 1793, and the focus of the country's great seafaring empire of the 18th and 19th centuries. Having been party to the control of much of the East African coast, Muscat's 20th-century descent into international oblivion, under Sultan Said bin Taimur, was all the more poignant.

The city gates remained resolutely locked and bolted against the inevitable encroachments of the outside world until 1970. Under the auspices of a progressive leader, Sultan Qaboos, the city reawakened. To facilitate the growing number of cars needing access to the city, a hole was driven through the city walls. Goods and services flooded in and Muscat flooded out to occupy the surrounding coastline.

Recent history

Touchingly, the city gates continued to be locked at a specific time every evening, despite the adjacent hole in the wall, until the gates were replaced with an archway. In many respects, that little act of remembrance is a fitting metaphor for a city that has given access to modern conveniences while continuing to keep the integrity of its character.

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  The Chedi Muscat

  Muscat

  The Chedi Muscat is located on the beautiful Boushar beach

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  The Chedi Muscat

  Muscat

  The Chedi Muscat is located on the beautiful Boushar beach

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From December to March, Muscat is usually pleasant and warm, especially at night when there is a light breeze. But winter is a brief retreat from the hot and sticky summer months when air-con is essential. Rainfall is minimal throughout the year.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting around

Taxis from airport service Qurm, Al-Khuwair, Ruwi, Mutrah and Muscat. Muscat's taxis do not have meters. Even if you bargain you will inevitably pay two or three times the going rate. Fix the rate before you get in. Alternatively, walk 300m to the roundabout outside the airport to catch a cheaper microbus (07:00-19:00) to Ruwi, Mutrah or Muscat. There is no regular direct bus service to or from the airport despite the bus stop therein.

ONTC's system of local buses covers greater Muscat fairly thoroughly. Destinations are displayed on the front of the buses in Arabic and English and timetables in English are available at the main bus station. In Mutrah, local microbuses congregate around the Mutrah bus station; in Ruwi they park en masse across Al-Jaame St, opposite the main bus station.

Getting there and away

The only truly international airport in Oman is Seeb International Airport, 37km (23mi) from Mutrah, which is serviced by several international airlines. Limited domestic flights are available to/from Salalah and Khasab. If you want to visit Musandam Peninsula, your best bet is to fly to Khasab from Muscat or visit the region from Dubai.

The Oman National Transport Company (ONTC) has buses to Dubai and Abu Dhabi departing from Ruwi bus station. Comfort Line also has a daily service to Dubai from a parking lot outside Moon Travels.

You need to be determined to make the border crossing into Yemen. The only access to either border post is by your own 4WD vehicle or by long and expensive taxi rides from Salalah or Thumrait. It's usually prohibited to take a hire car across any Omani border. It is also forbidden for single women to enter or leave Oman by land except on a public transport bus.

ONTC provides comfortable intercity services throughout Oman. Its main depot is the ONTC bus station in Ruwi. Timetables in English are available. Taxis and microbuses also leave for all destinations from Al-Jaame St, opposite the ONTC bus station. There are several car rental agencies in the area around the Ruwi roundabout as well as the usual desks in big hotels and at the airport. Road signs are written in English (albeit with inconsistent spelling), as well as in Arabic.