 Muscat at night | ||
| Muscatمسقط | ||
| Residents | 769.093 (2010) | |
|---|---|---|
other value for residents on Wikidata: 1421409   | ||
| height | 69 m | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| ||
Muscat (Arabic:مسقط, Masqaṭ, „Place of fall“, Engl. Muscat) is the capital of the Sultanate Oman and the largest city in the country.
background
The port city of Muscat is located in the north of Oman and is bordered in the south by rising rocks.
The place was already since the second millennium BC. Settled. This is where the Magan Empire was located. Its wealth came from the trade in copper and pearls. Around 500 BC The area was taken over by the Persian great king Cyrus II conquered and remained under Persian rule for a millennium. The Islamic conquest ended this rule and ushered in a new era. In 1507 the city fell into the hands of Portuguese sailors. Only a century and a half later, in 1650, Sultan ibn Saif succeeded in driving out the Portuguese and revitalizing the city as a trading center.
Muscat became the capital of Oman for the first time in 1808, but temporarily lost this status. It wasn't until 1971 that the Sultan declared Qaboos inb Said the city back to the capital of the country.
In Muscat Governorate, i.e. Muscat itself, including the suburbs of Matrah (Muttrah), Qurum, Ruwi and Sib (Seeb), there are around 776,000 inhabitants today (2010 census). The actual city has only about 30,000 inhabitants.
getting there
By plane
The city is served by numerous airlines:
- Lufthansa: from Frankfurt am Main.
- Swiss: from Zurich (via Dubai).
- Oman Air: from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Amman, Bahrain, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beirut, Cairo, Chennai, Chittagong, Dar Es Salaam, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt am Main, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jaipur, Jeddah, Karachi, Kathmandu, Khasab, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Lahore, London Heathrow, Lucknow, Male, Mumbai, Munich, Paris, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh, Salalah, Thiruvananthapuram and Zurich.
- Air Arabia: from Sharjah.
- Air India Express: from Amritsar, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvanantahapuram.
- Britsh Airways: from London Heathrow.
- Egyptair: from Cairo.
- Emirates: from Dubai.
- Etihad Airways: from Abu Dhabi.
- Qatar Airways: from Doha
- Gulf Air: from Bahrain.
- KLM: from Amsterdam.
- Pakistan International Airlines: from Islamabad and Peshawar.
- Royal Jordanian: from Amman.
Taxis to and from the airport should cost between 6 RO (Golden Tulip, near the airport) and 12 RO (Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Al Bustan). Taxis can be booked at the taxi counter (☏ 968 24518780, 968 24518781, ✉ [email protected]). You should agree the fare with the driver before starting your journey, or pay in advance at the airport taxi counter.
Public buses stop on the ground floor in front of the new terminal. Bus 1B runs around the clock about every 20 minutes to Ruwi bus station for 0.5 RO where you can change to the bus to Mutrah and old Muscat. There are no timetables at the bus station and if you ask the driver there are very different information.
By bus
The Oman National Transport Company offers international bus connections to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There are domestic connections to Buraimi, Nizwa, Salalah, Sanaw and Sur. The bus station is located in Ruwi, Al-Jaame Str.
In the street
The United Arab Emirates and Yemen can be reached by road.
By boat
The 2 Sultan Qaboos port of Muscat is a popular destination for cruise tourists. There are shuttle buses that run between the entrance to the port in the Mutrah district and the cruise ship, and taxis are also available. At the exit of the port, a board shows the taxi prices to the most common destinations, the rest is a matter of negotiation. You can also walk to the Corniche promenade, the path leads along the 1 fish market past. Tourists only need a boarding pass and a landing pass to go ashore, (Tourist Entry Permit).
mobility
Taxis and shared taxis are available in the city, fares are always a matter of negotiation and should definitely be discussed before starting the journey. A journey in a shared taxi should never cost more than OMR 0.500 regardless of the route. A normal taxi within the city costs between 4 and 7 OMR, to the airport or Matrah it can be up to 10 OMR.
Vehicles can be rented from numerous car rental companies: ABC, Al Maskry Rent-a-Car, Advice, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National, Sixt and Thrifty.
Tourist Attractions
Muscat
Original old town with the sultan's palace
- 1 Qasr-al-Alam The Sultan's Palace was built around 1970. It is not open to the public.
- 2 Bait al Zubair Museum. The museum is a foundation established in 2005 by the Zubair family. The museum consists of five buildings and an outdoor area. Worth seeing: Bait al Oud, three-story building with furniture from Oman, Bait al Dalaleel with a typical lounge, bedroom and date store, Bait al Bagh, Main building of the museum, traditional weapons (khanjar), musical instruments and jewelry, Bait al Nahdhah, Art collection, serves to worship the sultan, Gallery Sarah, Contemporary Arts. Also: gift shop, center for Omani clothing, cafe, outdoor models.Open: Sat. - Thurs .: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Price: Adults: 2000 bps, children 10-15 years): 1000 bps, children under 10 years free.
- 3 Bait Muzna Gallery
- 4 Omani French Museum, Bait Fransa.
- 5 Muscat Gate Museum, Al Bahri Rd.
- 6 Zawawi Mosque
- 7 Al Jalali Fort(al-Jalali)
- 8 Al Mirani Fort
- Remnants of the old City fortifications with the city gates 9 Bab al-Kabir (the "Great Gate"), 10 Bab al-Matha'ib, al-Bab as-Saghir (the "Little Gate") and Bab al-Waldschat.
Matrah
Former fishing village with harbor and corniche
- 11 Corniche (Promenade). The Corniche is below the Crown Plaza. A mile-long beach stretches right on the water, where locals and tourists alike go for a walk. Behind it there is an asphalt promenade where the locals like to drive their vehicles for a walk. There are some good restaurants here (Japengo, La Mer) that offer a beautiful view of the beach and the sea.
- 12 Mutrah Fort
- 13 Riyam Park. The strange building at the top of the hill is said to represent an incense burner and serves as a lookout point.
Ruwi and Qantab
- 14 Sultan Qaboos Great Mosque The mosque was inaugurated after six years of construction in May 2001, it was built from Indian sandstone. Its main minaret is 91.5 m high, the four minarets at their corners reach 45 m. The main attraction is the large men's prayer hall, which can accommodate 6,500 people. The chandelier in the middle of the 50 m high dome consists of numerous Swarowski crystals, is 14 m high, has a diameter of 8 m and a weight of 8 tons. The dome is supported by four mighty columns from whose side openings air-conditioned air can flow. There are also chandeliers in the aisles between the columns and the outer walls. The prayer rug has the enormous dimensions of 70.5 x 60.9 m and a weight of 22 tons. He was in Iran It took 600 weavers a total of 3 years to produce the estimated 1.7 billion knots.
- The mosque can also be visited free of charge by non-Muslims from Saturday to Thursday between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Of course, the splendid carpet must not be stepped on by the thousands of visitors every day, a blue runner placed over it serves to protect it. Touching the walls or the Koran is also prohibited. The usual rules apply to clothing: do not eat, drink or smoke in the prayer halls, take off shoes at the entrance. Strict guards of virtue ensure that the clothing covers as much of the body's surface as possible, and appropriate clothing can be borrowed in an emergency.
- 15 The National Museum, Way 3123. Tel.: 968 2470-1289. Open: Sat - Tue: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.Price: Adults: 500 resp., Children free.
- 16 The Sultan's Armed Forces Museum (Military museum), Bait al-Falag.
Al Ghubrah, Al Khuwair, Al Qurum, and Bawshar
- 17 Natural History Museum (Natural History Museum), Al Khuwair.
- 18 Museum of Omani Heritage, Medinat Al Alam.
- 19 Children's Museum (Children's Museum), Shatti al-Qurum.
- 20 Qurum Natural Park
various
If you follow the beach further west, you come to Shatti al Qurum (at the Interconti). A popular meeting place to enjoy coffee, ice cream or a shisha. Towards evening the beach is populated within a very short time: the locals meet to play football. It is worth seeing how they walk barefoot or with shoes, jerseys or Dishdasha on the sand and pursue their favorite hobby. During the day you can watch the somewhat unusual fishing methods of the fishermen here. Pick-ups pull the nets onto the beach from two sides at the same time.
If you want to go swimming in the sea, you can basically do that here. Especially in the cooler months, when there are many holidaymakers there, tourists bathe in the area of the large hotels (Interconti, Hyatt, ...). However, you should always keep in mind that you are in an Arab country. Those who would like to bathe a lot (sun) should rather do so in the area of the hotel complex or for a small entrance fee on private beaches (e.g. dive center, yacht club.
activities
Culture
- 1 Royal Opera House (Royal Opera House Muscat), Al-Kharijiyah St., Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat. Tel.: 968 2440-3300, Fax: 968 2440-3322, Email: [email protected].
The Muscat Opera is well worth a visit. It is lavishly designed both inside and out and meets the highest standards in terms of acoustics and technical options. International greats appear regularly at the opera, and guided tours are also offered from time to time. As a European one should make sure to get an English tour. Alternatively, there are guided tours in Indian or Arabic. Registrations and tickets can be obtained directly at the opera.
- Muscat Festival
Sports
- hike
- Rockclimbing
- Diving (Oman Dive Center in Bandar Jissah)
- Riding on horses
- Camel racing
nature
- Turtles and dolphin watching
- Safaris
shop
- 2 Matrah Souk. The entrance to the souk on the Corniche is easy to find. Here you will also find ATMs, free WiFi, a bus stop and a public toilet. The range of goods in the souk is just as confusing as its narrow streets.
- Sabco Center, Qurum.
- Muscat City Center, Seeb.
- Qurum City Center, Qurum.
kitchen
Cheap
medium
Upscale
nightlife
Due to the restrictive legislation and conservative social norms, there is no real night life in Muscat.
accommodation
Cheap
medium
- Crowne Plaza Muscat Gulf, BLDG (building number) 1730, Qurum Street. Tel.: 968(0)(24) 660660, Fax: 968(0)(24) 660600, Email: [email protected]. Check-in: 2 p.m.Check-out: 12.00.
- Best Wester Premier Muscat. Tel.: 968(0)(22) 000888, Email: [email protected]. Check-in: 2 p.m.Check-out: 12.00.
Upscale
- Hotel Al Falaj
- Grand Hyatt Muscat, Shatti Al Qurm. Tel.: 968(0)(24) 64 1234, Fax: 968 (0)(24) 60 5282, Email: [email protected].
- Ruwi Hotel
- Shangri-La Hotel
Learn
- Sultan Qaboos State University (SQU)
- Muscat State College (The Higher College of Technology)
- State College of Banking & Financial Studies in the Ruwi district
Work
security
Muscat is a very safe city for tourists. Crime is practically non-existent. Traffic can be chaotic at times. You should be particularly careful when crossing streets, as there are practically no zebra crossings and traffic lights for pedestrians. The consumption, possession, trafficking and smuggling of drugs is punishable by long imprisonment. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted for tourists in the hotel areas as well as on private hotel beaches, alcohol consumption is prohibited in public and no alcohol is served in restaurants. The presence of drunk people in public can lead to provisional arrest. Homosexual acts are illegal in Oman and can be punished with up to three years imprisonment, one must not assume that tourists will not be convicted. To avoid conflicts, men traveling together should not book double rooms in hotels. When photographing strangers, prior verbal permission must be obtained; photographing police officers and soldiers, police stations and barracks, at airports and in other traffic stations is prohibited; this also applies to photography with smartphones. During the calls to prayer, which are broadcast in public, tourists should also keep quiet, not listen to music or use smartphones, not even to type Massenger messages. There are shielded areas in public transport for women and children, which can also be used by tourists, but this is voluntary, and tourists are not obliged to use them.
health
Hospitals
- Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, al-Hamriya.
- Al Amal Medical Center, al-Wadi al-Kabir, al-Khuwair.
- Atlas Star Medical Center. Bausher.
- Badr Al Sama Hospital-Ruwi, al-Khuwair, al-Khoud, Barka, Sohar, Salalah.
- Babylon Medical Center, Amerat.
- KIMS Oman Hospital, Darsaite.
- Muscat Private Hospital, Ghubrah.
- Al Nahda Hospital, Ghubrah.
- Royal Hospital
- Al Shatti Hospital, Shatti al-Qurum.
Practical advice
Embassies
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany (Diplomatic Area, Al-Khuwair, Jami'at Al-Duwal Al-Arabiah Street). Tel.: 968 2469-1218, Fax: 968 2469-1278.
Embassy Austria, Al Baladiya St, Way no.3109, Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan Complex, Bldg 477, Rms 203-204, Ruwi. Tel.: 968 2479-3135, Fax: 968 2478-3548.
Embassy Switzerland, Al Asfoor Plaza Bldg 1F 104, Qurum. Tel.: 968 2456-8205, Fax: 968 2456-8206, Email: [email protected].
Embassy Bahrain, 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos. Tel.: 968 24605074, 968 24605075, 968 24605133, Fax: 968 24605072.
Embassy of Egypt, Jamai'at al Dowal al Arabyia St (in the diplomatic quarter). Tel.: 968 24600411, 968 24600982, Fax: 968 24603626.
Embassy of Iran, Jamai'at al Dowal al Arabyia St (in the diplomatic quarter). Tel.: 968 24696944, 968 24696947, Fax: 96824696888.
Embassy Italy, Al Qurum House 842 Way 2411. Tel.: 968 24560968, 24564832, 968 24564838, Fax: 968 24564846, Email: [email protected].
Embassy of Jordan, Jamai'at al Dowal al Arabyia St (in the diplomatic quarter). Tel.: 968 24692760, 968 24692761, Fax: 968 24692762.
United Kingdom Embassy, Jami'at al Dowal al Arabya St. (in the diplomatic quarter). Tel.: 968 24693077, 24609000.
miscellaneous
The cellular network is very well developed. In Muscat, 3G and sometimes 4G is available almost everywhere. Internet sites that contain revealing material or otherwise violate applicable laws are blocked.
trips
There are companies that specialize in day trips in the Muscat region (e.g. to the Green Mountain "Jebel Akhdar"). International hotels also often have tours on offer.
The prices are on average around € 200 per person per day for a group of 2-4 people. Those who travel alone pay extra (at least € 300 per vehicle and day).
