Tourist Attractions & Monuments Oman

Located in the Al Ghubrah district, at the northern entrance to the city, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the most majestic in the entire sultanate, can be seen from the highway linking Seeb airport to Muscat's inner suburbs. Although it is visually second only to another more recent and equally beautiful mosque - the Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - the Great Mosque of Sultan Qaboos is the first impressive building to be seen on entering the capital. Alongside the Royal Opera House in the Qurm district and the National Museum of Oman in Old Muscat, it is one of the major structures commissioned during the reign of Sultan Qaboos.

With a surface area of 416,000 m² and room for 20,000 worshippers, this superb place of worship, inaugurated in 2001, reflects the spiritual strength of the nation. Its construction, which took more than six years, was entrusted to two architectural firms, one Omani (Architects International) and the other London-based (Quad Design), who favoured a blend of modernity and tradition. The entire complex is clad in cream-coloured "arabescato" sandstone in the prayer areas and lilac-coloured "taj" in the riwaqs (transitional spaces between interior and exterior with arcades). The stones were imported from India and cut in Muscat. The mosque's main entrance is on the south side and opens onto a beautiful flower garden. It leads to three other entrances, all of which open onto vast open spaces. The whole building consists of a vast platform at the heart of which is the main prayer hall and a smaller one for women. The limits of this sacred space are marked at each corner by a minaret, which rises to a height of around 45 metres, in addition to the main minaret, the fifth, 91.5 metres high, echoing the 5 pillars of Islam. On either side of the main buildings, as if framing them, are the riwaq: 240-metre-long arcaded corridors, decorated with mosaics and several domes, and housing the auxiliary rooms - notably the ablutions areas and a library rich in Arabic and English-language works that can be consulted on site.

The highlight of the visit isthe men's prayer hall , a masterly place, as much for its sheer size as for the beauty of its decorative materials and interior ornamentation: columns, stained glass windows, arcades, precious woodwork, finely sculpted ceilings, superb floral motifs... 6,500 people at a time can gather in the heart of the hall, under an immense dome rising to a height of fifty meters. The walls are entirely clad in white marble panels, dressed with carved tiles and decorated with geometric and floral motifs, as well as calligraphic inscriptions. At the far end, facing the heavy carved doors of the entrance, the mihrab facing Mecca is inlaid with carved earthenware tiles, with gold-colored tangles.

The Persian carpet is one of the room's jewels. Covering an area of 4,263 sq. m. in a single piece, it measures 70 x 60 meters, weighs no less than 21 tons, is made up of 1,700 million knots and comes in 28 shades, most of them obtained from vegetable dyes. Entirely hand-woven by 600 professionals, supervised by 15 experts from the Iranian province of Khurasan, it took four years to make. The carpet was brought to the main prayer hall in 58 pieces, which were assembled on site by specialists. Visitors are not allowed to tread freely on this vast and superb single piece, which is, to this day, the largest handmade Persian carpet in the world.

The chandeliers are the other centerpiece of the men's prayer room. No fewer than 35 of them, made of Swarowski crystals and gold-plated pieces, illuminate the great hall. The most imposing stands beneath the dome. It's a masterpiece, eight metres in diameter and fourteen metres high. Weighing eight tons, it is illuminated by 1,122 bulbs.

The stained glass windows are also remarkable, and were created by a French company, France Vitrail International. To enhance the building's prestige, the traditional technique was chosen. This uses only antique glass of uneven thickness, set with lead and then tinted with metal oxides.

Despite its beautiful woodwork doors and ceilings,the women's prayer room is much more sober than the main hall, and has no mihrab. Tradition dictates that women pray at home. As a result, the mosque's women's hall is much smaller, and can only accommodate 750 worshippers. It is equipped with audiovisual facilities, enabling women to pray under the guidance of the imam, whose preaching is broadcast live from the men's prayer room.

We get up early, like the Omanis: no good trading in hot weather. The huge car park already sets the tone with its dozens of vans filled with goats, sheep and cows. In Nizwa, every Friday, cattle are haggled over! In the centre of the square, seated in a circle, a host of potential buyers watch as sellers parade past, tethering their cattle, waiting to be accosted. Everything happens very quickly and you have to exercise your neophyte's eye to try to understand the ritual of negotiation: an interested buyer asks for the price of the animal as the seller passes by and sometimes waits several turns before starting a negotiation, always quite fast and accompanied by a check of the good vitality of the animal (state of the teeth, stomach, legs). Buzzing of commercial conversations, alpine pastures, haggling, in the smell of cattle and the colours of the East. Each end of the square is a scene of life, almost a painting: old nomads with dull eyes, almost blinded by the sun, men in traditional costumes with their hands on sticks, rare Bedouin women with faces protected by a burqa. The deep and traditional sultanate: the spectacle of real life, a cultural plunge into a part of everyday life amidst the dust raised by the hooves of animals. Don't forget your camera for great shots, especially of faces, and take advantage of the hustle and bustle to capture attitudes without ever being pushy.

A majestic testament to the late Sultan Qaboos' unconditional love of great music, the Royal Opera House, some 142 years after the opening of the Cairo Opera House, had its Arab premiere in late 2011, with Franco Zeffirelli's Veronese Turandot conducted by Placido Domingo. With a capacity of about 1,100 people, the main auditorium is equipped with beautiful red seats. The spectators can follow the filmed version of the performance on the screen inserted in the backrest in front of them, but also the text of the libretto translated into the language of their choice. At the interval, in the foyer, one discovers a collection of rare antiques among which earthenware of Quimper Porquier-Beau, a lyre of the luthier of Mirecourt Jean-Baptiste Thouvenel or a bicentennial zither of Jean Hénocq. As music is a link between generations, the Omanis have chosen to equip the main hall with a polytimbral organ of 4,542 pipes by Klais, the historical organ builder based in Bonn. Tickets can be purchased at the reception desk or on the website. There is a possibility to attend a catch-up session from Saturday to Thursday from 8:20 am to 5:30 pm with a small guided tour of the opera house which unfortunately does not include the backstage area, but offers a nice overview of the auditorium.

Since 2020, this tour can be combined with the tour of The House of Musical Arts next door. Small extra charge.

To prolong the experience, you can stroll through the corridors of theOpera Galleria, a shopping mall of rare luxury and elegance.

Masterfully renovated, the citadel of Nizwa is one of the most impressive and interesting in the country. The foundations of the present building date from the mid-17th century, when the fort was built at the instigation of Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Ya'rubi. Its construction lasted about 12 years, from 1649 to 1661, and the building subsequently underwent regular renovations and alterations over the centuries. Protected by a rampart, the entire structure comprises both a castle and a fortified tower, arranged side by side around a wide courtyard. The former served as a residence and a place for administrative services. The second was purely defensive. It is likely that the castle was built long before the tower. Strategically located in the heart of the city, the citadel allowed the surveillance of the inland trade routes, as well as the oasis and springs of the nearby mountains.

It served as a residence for lawyers, as well as for students from all over the sultanate studying Islam in Nizwa. In addition to its inner courtyard, it had a multitude of outbuildings which we visit today and which have preserved their furniture and ancient objects: prisoners' and students' rooms, prayer and discussion rooms, but also library, Koranic school, rooms for storing dates, etc., all renovated and well-documented spaces where one can learn more about life in the heart of the Omani forts.

As a complement to the visit, the former prison now houses an interesting collection of objects from the past, commented and illustrated by numerous didactic texts. There, in the labyrinth formed by the old cells, traditional costumes and jewellery, coffee pots and household utensils, old keys and locks, pots and baskets, various weapons, etc. are on display. One room is devoted to the aflaj system, another to the dyeing of indigo, and yet another to the history of the Sultanate since the formation of the Arabian Peninsula and in the light of world development (comparative frieze). It's well done and you come out richer than you entered, especially since the scenography is pleasant and the screens add liveliness to the whole by broadcasting short documentary films on the different themes presented. After this amount of information, you might be tempted to take a tea or coffee break in the coffee shop in the courtyard; unless you are going to storm the rooftops of the fortress, to take a picture of the dome and minaret of the superb adjacent mosque: one of the most prized views of the local painters and a choice photo, in an ochre-brown monochrome against a backdrop of mountains. From the citadel tower, a superb panorama embraces to the north the Jebel Akhdar, to the south the mud houses of the old city, to the east the souk and the mosque, to the west the oasis of Nizwa fed by the falaj Daris, one of the longest in the country. On the way down, other superb photo opportunities are offered to us. Since 2019, the courtyard of the citadel hosts a living museum. Under the arcades or in the shade of large tents, Omanis in traditional costumes reproduce the trades of yesteryear. The seamstress sector is particularly attractive, as it is a rare opportunity to take pictures of women in their colourful clothes.

Built in 1670 as a secondary residence for Imam Bil'arab bin Sultan, Jabrin Castle is one of the jewels in the sultanate's crown, renowned for its painted ceilings, walls decorated with arabesque astrological motifs, stucco and wooden moucharabiehs and magnificently carved doors: a fine example of Omani architecture. In its heyday, more than 300 people used to come and go between the crenellated walls of its enclosure, members of the imam's family and small staff. The complex was masterfully restored between 1979 and 1983, and the surrounding residents relocated a short distance away to make way for a parking lot. To discover this fortified residential palace, there's nothing like the audio guides provided at the entrance to help you find your way around the maze of staircases, corridors and adjoining rooms.

After the main door and a first courtyard, go through a second wooden door carved in one piece and valiantly guarded by two cannons. Immediately to the left, a small staircase leads to the guard room. Immediately after, a narrow passage leads to the tomb of Imam Bil'arab bin Sultan. Walk up to the tomb and retrace your steps. You then enter the castle's inner courtyard, extended by a hall. The tour begins here, at the far left. If you look up and wide-eyed, you can make out the slits on either side of the ceiling: these were used to monitor comings and goings at the entrance to the building. If an undesirable person tried to pass through the hall, boiling oil or hot date honey was poured on them as a sign of "unwelcome". Next opens the room where the provisions were kept. Admire the chests as well as the palm-leaf baskets and jars used to store wheat, spices, dried fish...

A staircase at the end of the hall, on the left, leads to the second floor and several reception rooms decorated with cushions on the floor and beautifully embellished carpets. The library with its carved wooden Koran holders is on this level. Take time to observe the engraved or painted ceilings for which Jabrin is renowned, and which have been brilliantly restored: arabesques, ornamental motifs, verses from the Koran, poems. A few steps lead up to the women's bathroom, while others lead down to the imam's tomb.

To reach the second floor, take the main staircase, the only one with a magnificently engraved ribbed ceiling. But beware! Its fourth step is rigged and can be removed. A number of nasty invaders left their evil intentions and their freedom behind. The importance of this trap is clear from the fact that the steps led directly into the apartments of the Sultan's family. You'll discover the guest rooms, adjoined by the small Hall of Secrets, or najwa, where confidential matters were whispered. Here again, contemplate the colorful beamed ceilings. The staircase leading to the third floor overlooks the rooftops, all nooks and crannies, with a panoramic view of the beautiful adjacent palm grove. On one side is the prayer room, on the other the reading room where the fundamentals of Islam were taught.

A door at the far end of this room leads back down to the other side of the castle. A few steps further down, head left, where a staircase leads to the second floor of the right wing. This part of the building is built around a superb patio, overlooking the kitchens. The first room on the left is the conference room, whose distinctive feature was a double back at each corner. Spies with keen ears could be posted here to listen in on whispered conversations! The second room is the dining room, and the third is the courtroom, with a door barely 40 cm high through which prisoners were let out... Another curiosity is the horse room, which was devoted to the master's personal pet. A peculiarity that speaks volumes about the adoration of the Omani (and Arab male populations in general) for equines. On the first floor is the kitchen, and at the far end is a special room where date honey was made. The fruit was stacked over two meters high in large woven palm sacks, then pressed. The resulting juice flowed into a gutter at the end of which it was collected.

For those interested in the restoration of painted ceilings, see the article in Icomos Information I-1988 at www.icomos.org. The author and director of the work, Jean Claude Bourret, describes the stages of this complex and fascinating rehabilitation. We learn that "the painters who decorated Jabrin's original ceilings had a wide range of motifs at their disposal: calligraphic, floral, geometric, interlacing, arabesques, rosettes, stars, polygons, spirals, interlaced curved lines, frames, etc." and that "three dominant colors equally distributed over the ornamental surface were used". For the renovation, "pigments were used from Roussillon, Gargace and Rustrel (in the Vaucluse region), where the pigment quarries whose hues were closest to the paintings on the Jabrin ceilings are located. Some pigments, however, were found on site, at the foot of Djebel Akhdar".

The Sultanate of Oman is renowned for its many forts, but the Sultanate of Nakhal stands out in particular. It is one of the largest and most beautiful in the country and, above all, one of the only ones built on an irregularly shaped rocky promontory. The foundations of the present building, like those of most Omani forts, are very old and date back to long before Islam. However, the foundations of the structure as it stands today date from three successive eras, during which the citadel was renovated and enlarged to its current surface area of 3,400 m²: the second half of the 17th century (a period of prosperity and relative calm under the powerful Ya'ariba dynasty, reigning from 1650 to 1744), 1834 and 1990.

Surrounded by a 30-metre-high wall and protected by six towers, the fort today forms a harmonious, well-appointed ensemble, evocative of past lifestyles. It has most of the characteristics of an Omani defensive building: its second entrance gate is surmounted by an opening through which guards poured hot oil on unwelcome visitors (remember to raise your head to observe this curiosity). There are two meeting rooms: one downstairs for the winter; the other upstairs for the summer, much cooler thanks to an ideal draught system during the hot season. They are decorated with painted beams (ornamental motifs and Koranic verses), chests and books, as in the past. The pieces of wood inserted in the wall were mainly used to hang weapons. The access doors were low, so that each visitor was obliged to bend down as a sign of humility and respect for the chief, the Wali. The fort also has two wells (one of which is on the roofs), two date storage rooms, two secret exits, a maze of rooms (including the Wali's private room with bed, chest, silver jewellery) and a multitude of stairs, as always.

The most courageous will be able, with precaution, to climb a makeshift ladder at the top of the east tower, from which a beautiful panorama of the palm grove and the foothills of the Hajar Mountains can be enjoyed. And gun enthusiasts will be pleased to find various weapons from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries on display in the middle tower. Also take the time to wander outside on the rooftops to appreciate the extent to which the fort follows the shape of the rock on which it was built and which dictated much of its architectural design.

It is one of the most famous wadis of the sultanate for its superb freshwater basins of a beautiful emerald. As always, you are advised to take precautions before venturing out. Don't venture out without a sun hat, sun cream and of course water, as the heat can be overwhelming; and above all, check the weather forecast to make sure that no thunderstorms are expected that day, as the risks of flooding and drowning are real in the wadis. To access the more remote pools, you must first swim across the arm of the river or simply go by boat. Some kids propose this crossing of a few meters. Opposite, a dirt path drowned in palm trees leads to the heart of the wadi along the river. Very quickly, the water disappears and we find ourselves walking on the rock, between mountains with steep walls. Big boulders and touches of greenery: a wild and rather masterful environment, especially when the water shows up again, in the form of punctual basins of incredible green! The most beautiful ones are at the bottom, about 40 minutes walk away on a pseudo path that one loses and finds again at random luck (but, impossible to get lost, since one is so to speak "stuck" in the dry river bed). After about 20 minutes, keep to the right and go up a few meters overhanging following the cliff face and in particular a black pipeline. The path goes down naturally and you must then walk until you spot some abandoned stone constructions, a little higher up, on the left. Further on, there are several pools lined with small pebble or coarse sand beaches: an idyllic setting to spend a few hours. The highlight of the walk is there. It's not really a secret: in informed circles, we all talk about "the famous wadi Shab cave". But still, if you don't know, you can't find it! It is by swimming to get there, following the pools to the bottom, where the mountain forms a sort of cul-de-sac. Slightly on the left, a corridor of a few meters offers itself as a notch, which allows only the passage of the head (the rest of the body remains immersed, which allows to progress while swimming). One enters it with a little apprehension, with one's eyes riveted on the light, at the bottom. Suddenly, the reward is there: an open-air cave into which an adorable waterfall falls! A basin of a few meters in diameter, but abyssally deep, set in its rocky setting.

The main entrance to the souk opens onto the cornice, to the left of the great blue mosque as you head towards Old Muscat. With your eyes closed, you are sure to arrive safely following the heady scent of incense! The main street of the market, entirely covered like the rest of the spaces, quickly splits in two. On each side, alleys full of all kinds of goods leave. Those that run to the right lead to the jewellery sector and its display cases of necklaces, bracelets, pendants, in silver and solid gold. Immediately after the entrance, still on the right, stands the corner of perfumes and pashminas. When you leave the central axis to the left, it is the area of poetic bric-a-brac. At the far end are the garment stalls. The atmosphere isn't intrusive, the salespeople just encourage you to come in without ever chasing you. Aboriginals and tourists rub shoulders in a good mood. First necessity purchases for some, superfluous for others, the possibilities are not lacking: from a pair of sneakers to old chests, through spices, jewellery, kandjars, pottery and various handicrafts. The stroll can be pleasantly prolonged, not to mention the time spent haggling for a "good price", a vague and rather arbitrary concept. Even if one has nothing to buy, the place is worth the detour for its very oriental atmosphere, its painted ceilings, its sometimes decorated beams, its scenes of life.

Built on the site of the old traditional market, the "new" Nizwa souk, all in ochre and protected by ramparts, covers an area of 7,600 m². Its traditional architecture and the fact that it's frequented by locals and tourists alike make it a very pleasant place to stroll around, especially in the early morning and late afternoon, when it's at its liveliest. The layout of the neighborhoods is primarily functional. In the direction of the fort, around a lovely little central square that you can recognize by the large number of potteries hanging or lying on the ground, is the craftsmen's area, made up of several stores under arcades. Here you'll find mainly pots and jars, but also ancient weapons, antiques, silver objects and jewelry, palm-leaf baskets and woven rugs... A little further away, in another small square right in line with the entrance to the fort, a door leads to a large covered rectangular hall, crossed by two pedestrian walkways (East Souk), where stalls run by old Omanis line up. These are closing one after the other for lack of customers or people to take them over, and the place is quiet until further notice. But you'll want to visit it for its deceptively old-fashioned but truly authentic atmosphere, and the deep peace that emanates from these chiaroscuro spaces where the sun's rays don't penetrate to the ornate beamed ceilings. Another section, as if untouched, retains an old-fashioned charm: it's like a mini souk within a souk, with ancient, unrenovated arcades, narrow stalls and a whole bric-a-brac of very local products offered by merchants from another age.

Moving away from the fort, you pass through three covered markets for foodstuffs: one for meat, another for fish, the third for fruit and vegetables - all well laid out and meeting generally good hygiene standards, as is the case everywhere in the sultanate, where the cleanliness of shopping areas obeys drastic standards. Further on, at the far end of the shopping area, a final shed houses the date market, where canvas or jute sacks are piled up, as in days gone by. The price of the fruit is negotiated very closely, depending on the variety and quality of the harvest. You can buy directly from the customer or from a large store (7 days a week, 6am-12pm and 4pm-8pm) offering no fewer than 12 varieties of dates at around OMR 1 to 3 per kilo (with the possibility of sampling), plus a few other products (honey, date syrup, spices...). Just opposite is one of the best-known and busiest halls in the whole of Nizwa: that of the Al-Saifi family's famous Halwa Factory, crowded not only by locals, but also by visiting locals. Some would even travel from far and wide to acquire what is considered the best Halwa in the country, if not the entire Gulf!

We then leave the area enclosed by the ramparts and enter an open-air square, where a picturesque livestock market is held every Friday morning. Just as local and traditional, but located on the opposite side of a small square facing the entrance to the fort, don't miss the antique weapons market, also held on Friday mornings.

Opened in July 2016, the National Museum of Oman, by its architecture and the elegance of its lines, presents itself as a major and unmissable building of the country in the line of the great works undertaken under the reign of Sultan Qaboos - the Great Mosque, the Royal Opera House. Immaculate and proudly situated at the end of the esplanade facing the al-Alam Palace, this national jewel, imbued with a sober majesty, is naturally part of the old Muscat district - its peaceful and flowery streets, its well-kept buildings, its chic atmosphere steeped in history and culture... International in its conception and scenography, oriental in style, but in a refined way (vast perspectives, skylights, stylized arabesques), this fabulous complex is the showcase for retracing and appropriating the history and traditions of the country since the appearance of the human race in the Omani peninsula until today.

Fourteen permanent and thematic galleries (Maritime History Gallery, Splendors of Islam, Oman and the World, etc.) make up this vast, bright and modern complex, and allow visitors to discover no less than 5,500 objects - ancient pottery, weapons, jewelry, coffee pots, precious dishes, chests, antiques, etc. - all presented in such a harmonious way that the visitor is able to see the history of the country. - All of this is presented in such a harmonious way that one could come here for the sole pleasure of an aesthetic stroll. The museum's educational, cultural and humanitarian mission is nonetheless omnipresent and is first echoed in the twenty-minute introductory film, which is a must-see in the Gallery of Arms and Armor. Then, everyone is free to glean didactic information (in English, Arabic and Braille) from the various information panels, particularly those that introduce each gallery and each theme by drawing attention to thekey objects in each space. For the attention of children or the curious, the What is it panels highlight the most surprising objects, those whose meaning or initial function is difficult to guess at first glance, like this small incense burner in the shape of a boat exhibited in the Gallery of Prehistory and Ancient History. We appreciate the numerous interactive screens and the playful activities dedicated to the youngest visitors who will not remain insensitive to the incredible weapons, accessories, clothes, jewels, etc., testifying to the rich heritage and influence of the Sultanate through the ages. A little cheer in passing for the essay dated 1841 by the Frenchman Edmond Pâris on the shipbuilding of non-European peoples and also for the globe offered by François Mitterrand during a diplomatic visit of Sultan Qaboos in Paris in 1989 and on which the artist Fernand Pouillon has made appear the places dear to the former president such as Jarnac, Chateau-Chinon, Cluny or Solutré! By way of introduction, take the time to watch the video dedicated to the museum on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/embed/thZJNoABmGw?list=PL6FBEF7B4438D3F03) to get a clear idea of the beauty of the spaces, the size of the rooms, the modernity of the staging combined with the majesty of the openwork windows and doors where the light filters through the arabesques. Not to be missed!

New: the entrance ticket now gives access to Bait Greiza, the former residence of the sultan located 700 meters from the museum, and superbly restored.

A village suspended from the scorching slopes, drowned in green palms, forms one of Oman's most striking postcards. Easy access by tarmac road, well-equipped parking lot, tourist coffee shop, natural pools crossed by modern, secure footbridges - this is a major destination for Omani families and travellers alike. From here, following the long-distance footpath, walkers cross the range in 14 hours. It takes considerably less energy to laze on the large rocks and dive into the green water. On weekdays, when it's quieter, this water park, given by nature and redesigned by man, is a recommended excursion. To make the most of the place, take a towel and a bathing suit, which for the ladies must be covering, as the posters remind us. Between the parking lot and the pools, there's a goat path. Don't hesitate to get away from the crowds and head upstream along the wadi to enjoy the peace and quiet. The gorge narrows to form a vertiginous canyon. After the sometimes tricky passage of several large limestone boulders and the crossing of several basins whose water level varies according to the season, you reach a very narrow cave after 1 km - Muqal Cave. It stands halfway up the wall. Following a narrow corridor that requires crawling, it opens onto a vast, dark cavity, extended by vaults and galleries. Even though the area is marked out, it's best to come with locals or a guide.

Since 1998, when the house was converted into a museum, the folk arts and traditions of the sultanate have been presented in their best light in this beautiful old house of Sheikh Al Zubair, a local dignitary who served three sultans as minister and advisor. Funded by its founders, the Al Zubair family itself, the museum displays the private collection of Omani artifacts gathered by various members of the family over several centuries and is considered to this day one of the most interesting collections in the sultanate. The museum is composed of 5 separate buildings and includes a café and a souvenir store. It extends outside into a garden with features of the local culture, such as a reproduction of the famous Omani irrigation system: the falaj.

Bait Al Bagh is the main building. Once a gathering place for the Omani elite, it now houses six galleries on the first floor displaying collections of jewelry, clothing, pottery, weapons, and musical instruments in a fluid and easy-to-understand thematic arrangement. On the second floor, one can discover stamps, a collection of coins and another of manuscripts from the ^16th century, all of which are more or less precious objects that nostalgically recount the past of the Sultanate, its culture, and everyday life in the old days.

Bait Al Oud is the former main residence of the Al Zubair family and is mainly used for temporary exhibitions.

Bait Al Nahdhalah, a 4-story building is dedicated to the promotion of arts.

Bait Al Dalaleed, another traditional building, has been carefully restored to give visitors a glimpse of the essence of Omani life over 100 years ago. Inside, there is a majilis, an old bedroom, a café and a reading and relaxation area.

The Sarah Gallery is the first and one of the most important contemporary art galleries in the Sultanate.

Since its inception in 2005, the Bait Al Zubair Foundation has also developed numerous projects related to culture, heritage, arts, community, history and publishing. It is very active and supports young creators. Its objective is to safeguard Oman's cultural and religious heritage but also to promote, exhibit, study and develop it by encouraging the production of young artists and making them aware of the plurality of contemporary creativity.

Even if it is less frequented than in the past, even if it sometimes seems disused, even if there is talk of it closing (when?) to be replaced by a "new incense souk that would respect a traditional spirit in terms of architecture and layout", it is to this day and in our eyes one of the most hypnotizing souks of the sultanate: a place carrying the brewing, the historical roads, the trading traditions.... perhaps because the women (originally the only tenants of the place, which is no longer the case today) have here faces where faraway Africa mingles with Arabia, colorful outfits, poses that make each stall a painting in the Brueghel oriental version. It's not big, you can go around it quite quickly and yet, each time, you turn around and go back for hours on end as if that were the magic of the place: in its small size, the welcome of the shoppers, the ambient kindness, the authenticity of the scents and of the old days.

It is here that you will find the largest number of varieties of incense and perfumes in the country. The stalls, all similar, are glued together. The white incense is called hujari. It is the most expensive, but also the purest compared to the others, more colourful and much cheaper. Known throughout the world, it is used in the composition of many great perfumes, including Amouage, the olfactory claw of the Sultanate. Also to be found: perfume burners and some souvenirs (stoles, pashminas, wooden canes, etc.).

In the heart of the old hamlet, a 3-century-old wattle-and-daub house whose various rooms tell the story of Omani life in days gone by: a museum, but a living one, where a few villagers, dressed in their traditional finery, are busy reproducing the gestures and trades of yesteryear - making flour, making medicinal powders, baking local galettes (thin pancakes with jagged edges, to be eaten as bread), and so on. There's a room where dates are stored as they were "in the old days", another displaying traditional Omani clothing and costumes, and yet another showing furniture and objects from yesteryear. A loom reminds us that in the sultanate, cushions and carpets are made, the same ones on which people sit in the majlis: the reception room where guests of the day and visitors are welcomed, and dates are enjoyed with cardamom coffee. The breeze circulates through the many openings, the shelves are adorned with books and pottery, and the ladies chat, glancing at each other under their capes... Nearby, in the gardens, a man demonstrates date-picking: leaning on a sort of woollen strap that secures him during his ascent, he climbs up into the foliage, high up in the palms. It's a great photo opportunity, and one of the museum's attractions: photos are allowed, so you can take portraits of women... or just immerse yourself. On site, in another old mansion right next door: a large buffet restaurant.

Much wider than its neighbour the Wadi Shab, the Wadi Tiwi allows you to drive there. It can be reached by a recent road, then by a track that runs along the river through the plantations of date palms, banana and fig trees. It is important to be very careful while driving, as some passages are quite brittle or narrow. A driver who does not feel comfortable with his off-road vehicle will have to make do with the access road, which is flat and well paved. On a regular basis, it is possible to park your car on the side for a swimming break - opt for a discreet spot, as the locals are not used to seeing European women in swimsuits, although this is tolerated. If you like walking, you can also discover the wadi on foot, as you explore the hamlets and terraced fields surrounded by low walls specific to Tiwi, also known as "the gorges of the nine villages". To visit all the hamlets, count one or two days on foot depending on the pace adopted or several hours by car.

The increasingly steep and narrow mountain road goes down 36 kilometres into the wadi and reaches the very last village of Mybam: the wadi citadel, perched at an altitude of 800 metres. The complex, consisting of mud and stone houses and defensive constructions built on a rocky outcrop, is fairly well preserved.

On the way, about 20 km from the entrance to the wadi, you can stop at the sign indicating the start of the hike to the very picturesque village of Saymah (about 1h30 round trip). Clinging to the side of the Bani Jabir djebel, this one conceals an old defensive round tower also used as a grain silo.

Several beautiful natural pools decorate the wadi. From the small village of Umq Bir there is a superb aquatic canyon 6 kilometres long, with numerous pools and long pools to swim in. Lasting about 7 hours, this canyoning is spectacular and is for experienced and enduring people accompanied by a guide (www.omantrekkingguides.com).

For experienced hikers who are willing to be self-sufficient for three days, there is also the ultimate opportunity to link Wadi Tiwi to Wadi Bani Khaleed via the Hallut Plateau. This is a good level hike that can only be done in the company of a mountain guide who knows the area well. It offers a beautiful panorama of the Arabian Sea and the entire coast from a rocky balcony at an altitude of 1,900 metres.

The port and walled city of Sumhuram were founded in the 3rd century BC. In the stone, on the bronze, its occupants left moving traces of the extinct Sudarabic language, which is now extinct. Established to control the incense trade in Dhofar, the site is identified in the 1st century as the Moscha Limen of the Eritrean Sea Journey, where Indian sailors who brought cotton cloth, corn and oil in exchange for incense spent the winter, waiting for the favourable monsoon winds to return home. During the first and second centuries AD, the port was the heart of the merchant settlement on this coast, enriched by its close links with the powerful Shabwa of Hadramaut in Yemen. At that time, it was a small walled town, two metres wide, covering about 1 hectare on a natural eminence. The decline began in the first half of the 4th century and ended at the end of the century.

On the spot, one discovers foundations that were once supposed to support a palace protected by walls and decorated with grandiose staircases, and which undoubtedly housed large incense storage stores. Excavations have revealed coins with Alexander's profile, earthenware jars, conservation jars (some of them in Roman style), bronze objects and a large incense burner. The precious resinous gum was transported by nomadic caravans from the interior and was shipped to the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and India. In exchange, ships loaded with products from Asia docked.

One can move freely in these ruins rustled with all the noise of history, without forgetting, near the car park on the right, to also follow the path that leads to a small temple near the water - a construction quite recently identified without it being possible to know with certainty which cult was practised there.

Shaped and occupied for 800 years, the site overlooks the beautiful Rori Lagoon , separated from the sea by a sandbank during the dry season and submerged during the monsoon. One could not talk about Khor Rori without mentioning the dozens of camels that come here, attracted by its greenery and freshness, as well as the numerous birds. The lagoon is indeed a nature reserve which serves as a habitat for more than a hundred species of birds including pelicans, storks, spoonbills, pink flamingos, ibis, grebes, cormorants, etc.. Fed by the wadi Darbat, it is also home to several varieties of fish and plants.

After the heatstroke of the visit and the fifteen minutes that one will devote to the small museum located 300 meters from the site, it will be time to go to the sea. From the museum car park, take the track towards the mouth of the river. Depending on the capacity of your vehicle, you will approach more or less and finish on foot to reach one of the most beautiful beaches of the sultanate: 200 metres of virgin sand between the sandstone jaws that partially block the entrance to the lagoon. To your left, the rocky spur is called Al Hamr Al Sharqiya and archaeologists have found the remains of a 700-metre long defensive wall punctuated by towers facing the sea, testimony to a late occupation between the 8th and 10th centuries, at a time when the city of incense was long since abandoned. In the heart of this site inhabited by ghosts, you will take a masterful bath!

Built in 1985 to dazzle the delegates of the Gulf Cooperation Council, this majestic palace sits enthroned in front of its mountain-framed bay. You step through the heavy wooden doors, carved like those of a very large mosque, and the 38-metre-high Atrium is decked out in precious materials, with a crystal fountain and walls covered in arabesques inlaid with gold leaf. A chandelier hanging from the dome illuminates the 18-meter lobby with sublime sparkles. A must-see!

Sur and Al Ayjah are separated by the maritime canal that feeds the waters of the lagoon. For centuries, dhows have been coming in and out, sailors have been embarking, workers have been carving the horseshoe sterns. In order to cross, one needed a boat or to go around the bottom of the lagoon, which is about ten kilometres long. But the State, which in Oman you have noticed does not count for road infrastructure works, decided in 2010 to offer Sur the first suspension bridge in the country. To approach Ayjah, walkers are advised, if the weather is suitable, to leave the vehicle on the Sur side and cross, on foot, this magnificent 204-metre long structure. After investigation, its architects are, unsurprisingly, the Germans of Schlaich-Bergermann, world leaders in suspended span structures, authors notably of numerous stadiums for the football world cup in South Africa, but also of the Mont Saint-Michel pedestrian footbridge project. At the end of the bridge, go to the left to quickly reach the small whitewashed fort located in the centre of the village (Al Hamooda Fort, open from Sunday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm, entrance 500 bz). Then, we recommend a stroll in freedom and according to your desires, passing by the banks of the lagoon and going up to the lighthouse for a superb view of the unbelievably coloured waters. The calm and old-fashioned atmosphere of the village contrasts with the liveliness and the overall style of the town of Sur just opposite, which is the interest of the place.

But why this long-isolated, bearded town? And why this very different architectural development? Historians tell us that Al Ayjah, like Al Ashkhara a little further south, is a Wahhabi land, which is extremely rare in Oman. Thus, in 1928, the rebel sheikhs of Beni Bu Ali established an independent customs post here and raised a flag to mark their sovereignty. They adopted the rule of Wahhabi Sunnism in the Saudi style, as did the Qataris a little later in the Gulf. The affair, of course, was not to the liking of the Sultan, who asked the British for help in bringing the restless into line - an arm wrestling that lasted 24 months. The revolutionaries are a distant memory, but religious rigorism is still present in this specific part of the city, which explains the systematic presence of the facial veil among women. Therefore, ladies, please do not visit the city in Ibizan dress.