Sur (Oman) - Sur (Oman)

Disambiguation - For toponyms of identical name, see Sur (disambiguation).

Sur (صور) is a city of Central coast of Oman.

To know

Historically the city is known to be an important destination point for sailors. Today the sea still plays an important part of the life of Sur, not for nothing it is one of the famous cities of the Persian Gulf in the construction of wooden ships, in fact it has the reputation of being one of the main builders of dau, the same boats used for trade two centuries ago. In addition to being an interesting destination in itself, it is an excellent base for excursions to Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi, and Ras al-Jinz.

Geographical notes

City overlooking the sea of ​​the Persian Gulf. It has an excellent sheltered harbor home to several shipyards for dau. It is the city from which the highway leading to the capital begins.

When to go

Climate	gen	Feb	mar	apr	mag	down	Jul	needle	set	Oct	nov	dec
Maximum (° C)	26	28	32	37	41	42	41	39	38	36		28
Minimum (° C)	18	19	22	26	30	31	30	28	27	25	21	19
Precipitation (mm)	11	10	17	8	2	13	3	2	0	2	3	11
World Meteorological Organization

Sur has a hot desert climate, with very little rainfall and high temperatures. Due to its coastal location, night temperatures are never very low. There is no distinctly wet season, but March tends to be the wettest month and September the driest.

From time to time Sur is battered by cyclones. In 2007, cyclone Gonu hit the city and in 2010 it was the turn of cyclone Phet.

Background

From the 6th century, Sur was an established center for trade with theEast Africa. In the sixteenth century it was under domination Portuguese, but was freed by the Omani imam Nasir ibn Murshid and experienced an economic revival as a center of trade with theIndia and East Africa. This continued until the mid-19th century, when i British they banned the slave trade. The city was further ruined with the opening of the Suez Canal, which resulted in the loss of trade with India.

Suggested readings

• Tim Severin, The Sindbad Voyage: in 1980 Severin and a crew of Omani, including several from Sur, sailed in a traditional dau from Muscat to Canton in China, in an attempt to recreate Sindbad's legendary journeys. The dau was built in Sur by Omani shipwrights and Indians using completely traditional materials and techniques, extensively described by the author.

How to orient yourself

The most interesting part of the city is located at the inner port crossed by scenic roads. The city in turn is connected by several bridges.

How to get

By plane

There is no airport in Sur. Although one was in the pipeline several years ago, but the project was later abandoned due to the expected higher frequency of cyclones.

By car

Sur is a 2.5 hour drive south of Muscat, off the R17 road. The national road R23 connects Bidbid to Sur passing through Ibra.

By bus

The microbuses cost 3 riyals and travel inland via the R23 highway, passing by Ibra.

• 22.56825259.5250011 (ONTC)@[email protected]. 

How to get around

By taxi

A taxi ride from the Rusayl roundabout will cost around 25 riyals (if shared 5 riyals).

By car

The best way to get around the city independently, given the distances that are not exactly short.

What see

• 22.56178759.5368691 Dau shipyard (Near the suspension bridge in Al Ayjah). Sur is where authentic dau (o dhow) are still built in the traditional way. The locals don't call them dhow, Rather safeena (ship). People will be puzzled by the deadline dhow. 
• 22.56117859.5311992 Fatih Al-Khair (Dhow Museum). Fans of handmade wooden boats and ships should definitely pay them a visit. Several old dau are on display, the largest of which is the Fatih Al-Khair, built in Sur 150 years ago and now beautifully restored. 

• 22.57693959.5200893 Othman bin Af'wan Mosque (جامع عثمان بن عفان). 
• 22.57940259.5040654 Sunaysilah Fort (Sinaysla Fort) (On the R23 road near the roundabout 3). 500 baisa. Sat-Thu 8: 30-14: 30. If the "natour" (guardian) is not there, continue on foot to the fortress itself and where he will see you, coming to meet you to sell you a ticket and then sit in the entrance hall while you look at the windows. It is possible to climb all four towers which offer great views of the city. Don't expect much in the way of historical information and inscriptions. 

• 22.5539359.4887665 Fort Bilad Sur (Bilad Sur Castle) (On the R23 road near the roundabout 1). Built 200 years ago, the fort is closed for renovations. 
• 22.56517659.5431656 Fort Al Hamooda (Al Ayjah Fort) (Al Ayjah). 500 baisa. Sun-Thu 8: 30-14: 30. 
• 22.5690259.5396857 Al Ayjah Lighthouse (Al Ayjah). Built by the Portuguese and now fully restored, this building offers a beautiful view of Sur. 

• 22.56515159.5399058 Al Ayjah watchtowers (Al Ayjah). 
• 22.56767259.521879 Fish market (Fish souq). Mon-Sun in the morning. Visitors can watch the fishermen unload and sell the fish of the day. 
• 22.56987259.53181510 Corniche (boardwalk). A pleasant promenade where you can take a stroll. 
• 22.56360459.53874111 Suspended bridge (جسر خور البطح). This bridge crosses the harbor entrance and connects the south bank of the city. 

Events and parties

What to do

• 22.57638559.4717851 Camel race (At the west entrance to the city.). Camel races are held in this field. 

Shopping

• 22.56970859.5239141 Suq. Visitors may find the souk disappointing, as it is filled with mundane goods Chinese and daggers made in India (the khangars ). 
• Dau (Dhow) (In a shed at the construction site). Dau models of various sizes, made by shipwrights, are on sale. 

How to have fun

Where to eat

Sur has many good restaurants, but no five-star venues.

Moderate prices

• Bawadi Al Ayga (In the souk, near the Nadi Sur Sports Club). First vegetarian with rice: 1 / 1.5 riyal; second course of meat: 1.3 / 1.8 riyal. Inexpensive restaurant Indian, although they also have food Chinese. Popular with locals, so any taxi will take you there. Friendly and very discreet staff since Kerala, speaking language English. Male and family sections are available. 

Average prices

• 22.57601959.521431 Zaki Restaurant, Hwy 23 (Near the desalination plant), ☎ 968 9946 2367. Restaurant Indian, with food of similar quality to the Bawadi Al Ayga but slightly more expensive. They too have food Chinese. The environment is extremely noisy. The staff are friendly and a couple of them talk English. Many Omanis come here with their families and the restaurant offers a section reserved for them. 

High prices

• Spicy Village Restaurant (Close to the cinema and the souk), ☎ 968 26 843238. First vegetarian: 2/3 riyal; second course of meat: 2.5 / 4 riyals. Mainly cooking Indiana but also Chinese. Probably the best restaurant in town, it's classy (by Sur standards). Prices are relatively high. The staff are friendly, helpful and unobtrusive. 
• 22.59517759.4939432 Sur Beach Hotel Restaurant, Al Murtefeh (Next to the beach). The food is okay but not great, plus it's a little more expensive than the Spicy Village. 

Where stay

Average prices

• 22.56116859.5409891 Al Ayjah Plaza Hotel, Al Ayjah, ☎ 968 25 544433. The newest hotel in Sur, with a restaurant next door. 
• 22.59577659.4932142 Sur Beach Hotel, 411 Sur, Sherkiya, ☎ 968 25 542031, 968 25 542032, 968 25 542033, fax: 968 25 542228, @[email protected]. From 35 riyals. Check in: 13:00, check-out: 13:00. 
• 22.56836159.5264843 Sur Hotel (A few steps from the souk and the bus stop), ☎ 968 25 544856, 968 25 540090, fax: 968 25 543798, @[email protected]. From 24 riyals. Basic, with free wifi and breakfast. 
• 22.56623659.4961434 Sur Plaza Hotel, Al Aise St, ☎ 968 25 543777, fax: 968 25 542626, @[email protected]. From 25 riyals. It has wifi, swimming pool, restaurant and bar. 

Safety

It is a rather quiet city. Evidence of particular requirements.

How to keep in touch

Around

• Wadi Tiwi - A series of towns and villages about 40 minutes by taxi from Sur (5/6 riyals from the center of Sur). There are no restaurants, so you need to pack something for lunch. There is a market on Thursday mornings where kitchen items are made in China can be purchased from Bengali is Omani.
• Wadi Shab - A long wadi right next to Wadi Tiwi, with a much more spectacular conformation than Tiwi and great for a day trip. Bring swimwear and sandals as the rocks at the bottom of the water are painful when barefoot.
• Wadi Bani Khalid - A great place with tons of tourists, but no restaurants here either, so lunch is packed.

• 22.4256159.8273082 Ras al Jinz turtle reserve (محمية راس الجنز) (from Sur, follow the road to Ras al Hadd. Arriving at a T-junction, Ras al Hadd (رأس الحد) is on the left, Ras al Jinz (رأس الجنز) is on the right. About 7 or 8 km further, turn left towards Ras al Jinz. Continue straight until the end of the road: in front there is a large building blocking the road, with a small parking lot in front), ☎ 968 9655 0606, 968 9655 0707, @[email protected]. 8 OMR adults, 2 OMR children aged 5 to 12, under 5 free (Nov 2019). Along the beach you can see green turtles that come to lay their eggs. This is the future museum dedicated to this exceptional site (opening date unknown). Behind the building: the entrance to the park and the access to the turtle beach. Guided tours are organized every evening. Appointment at the park entrance at 21:00. You will need to buy the entrance ticket, then go a little further to wait for the guide to take you to the beach and show you the turtles. Silence is required and flashes are prohibited. The best season is July / August when there are more turtles.  

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