Monuments to visit Mascate

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.

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!

Beautifully set up facing the sea along the port road, a few meters from the main entrance of the souk, these beautiful white wooden houses recognizable by their elaborate balconies were built from the seventeenth century by merchants from India. Being of Shiite faith, they had the particularity of not mixing with other communities. They created this strictly private neighborhood and lived among themselves. Today, with the influx of tourists, the Lawatiya would have partially deserted the place. Admire the beautiful mosque with the blue dome.

A remnant of the past, the royal city occupies a large part of Old Muscat, the oldest historical district of the city along with Mutrah. It was from this original small fishing port that Muscat became the prosperous city it is today. The fortifications and defensive buildings, restored in 1979 at the request of Sultan Qaboos, date back to the 16th century, the time of the Portuguese presence in Muscat. Three gates (Bab al-Kabir, Bab al-Saghir and Bab al-Mathaib) line the city and delimit the oldest section. One quickly falls under the charm of this small district which seems like a neat village in the heart of the capital: renovated houses, flowery sidewalks, immaculate streets... an Eden on the edge of the Arabian Sea! We understand why some ministries still remain there, like the one of Finance with its golden door. All the sights being held in a rather restricted perimeter, one discovers the city on foot, and why not a second time in the evening when the clever lighting of the buildings and the mountains lends itself particularly to an aesthetic and peaceful stroll. On site, three monuments are not to be missed: the two forts Al-Mirani and Al-Jalali, and the Qasr al-Alam, one of the residences of His Majesty the late Sultan Qaboos, now owned by the new Sultan Haïtham ben Tariq. This last palace, quite astonishing and of loaded style, is preceded by a huge esplanade framed by long buildings with arcades. It cannot be visited, but its flamboyant exterior architecture allows one to imagine the sumptuousness of its interior spaces and decorations. Large gold and blue columns reach for the sky, surrounded by beautiful beds of orange and purple bougainvillea, and armfuls of roses, one variety of which bears the name of the former sultan. The three monuments stand on the seafront, between ochre-colored rocks. To get there, you have to pass through one of the gates (ideally the one of Baba al-Mathaib, the closest one) and go to the water's edge, at the level of the cornice where you can find: on the left, the harbor; on the right, the Al-Mirani fort and the palace; and, in front of it, even more on the right, the Al-Jalali fort. Proudly standing on small escarpments, the two citadels are not to be visited either. The first one now houses the royal guard, while the second one is used by the army. From the cornice, one can see the names of the ships that passed through Muscat and left their mark on the cliffs bordering the port. The oldest inscription dates from 1876.

The iconic Al Bustan Palace (now the Ritz-Carlton) is much more than a luxury hotel. Nicknamed "The Jewel of the Sultanate", this nine-storey edifice certainly lives up to its name.

Following the accession to the throne of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said as ruler of the Sultanate of Oman in 1970, the country experienced significant progress in various sectors, including education, health, infrastructure and so on. During this period of "renaissance", the Sultanate of Oman became a leading and active partner in Gulf and Arab affairs, as well as in the international community. It soon became necessary to provide the country with sufficiently prestigious facilities and establishments to welcome visiting heads of state and their delegations, as well as international conferences and other high-level gatherings, in particular those of the Arab League, the Islamic Conference and, most important of all, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said's dream came true: he decided that Al Bustan Palace would be built to host the 1985 Gulf Cooperation Council summit. From the outset, it was planned that when not in use for state meetings, the building would function as a luxury hotel. After much deliberation, the Ministerial Committee was convinced to build the Palace on the eastern side of the city, by the sea. As the original village of Al Bustan stretched 6 km along the center of the beach, it was decided that the hotel would be built a little to the rear, in the heart of the area occupied by plantations. This posed a major problem, however: a 35-metre-high mountain had to be levelled before construction could begin! Site preparation was completed on August 16, 1983, and the foundation stone was laid.

During construction, the famous dome and its cladding, manufactured by 3 different companies in 3 different locations, were assembled over a weekend in a schoolyard in Liverpool, England, to ensure that everything fitted perfectly before shipment to Oman. Emblematically, the building's octagonal shape is mainly inspired by Islamic architecture. A total of 97 types of stone and 800 tonnes of the finest marble from Syria, Iran, Italy and India were used for the hotel's framework and flooring. The seven corners of the immense lobby each represent a GCC country and are adorned with arabesques, wood carvings, mother-of-pearl and gold leaf. The incredible central lamp hanging from the 38-metre-high dome, a reminder of the mountain that once stood on the same spot, is made up of some 3,000 bulbs and nine dazzling crystal chandeliers. Another not-to-be-missed piece is the sumptuous 3.5-metre-high fountain, also in crystal. Made exclusively for Al Bustan Palace, it represents a fabulous treasure chest.

In the afternoon, under the large sparkling dome, you can treat yourself to an exceptional high tea , magnificently served in ceramic crockery specifically designed for the palace. Everything is done to give visitors a deep sense of belonging and disconnection, while wisps of incense perfume the Atrium, creating a suspended moment in the Oman of yesteryear.

Perched on its rocky spur, this panoramic look-out built in 1507 offers wide views of the Bay of Mutrah and the coastal districts on one side, the mountains and the inland districts on the other - a strategic position to spot invaders arriving by sea as well as by land. Unlike the other forts in the country, this one is not subject to any development, but consists of a succession of ramparts, watchtowers and external platforms that are valiantly reached by a flight of steps. Every good selfie has to be earned!