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| One of 6 royal palaces, the ceremonial palace Al Alam |
Just over 3 hours from Jordan, we land in a different world.
Suliman our guide for the next 2 weeks, dressed in a neatly laundered dishdasha, is proud to point out that
Muscat was voted the cleanest city after Singapore. This modern city has
undergone a metamorphosis during the last couple of years. What is immediately obvious is that there are no high-rise buildings
as the maximum height has been restricted to 4 storeys. Buildings are built between
the mountains, not on them, which gives the city a very uncluttered look.
We head down to the vibrant fish market, which is clean and
orderly. Each day the local fisherman return to sell their catch, which is
supplemented by fish brought in from other parts of Oman. There is a staggering
variety on sale.
We visit the souk, the heady aroma of frankincense wafts in
the air. Clothes, perfumes, frankincense, traditional walking canes, Omani
daggers and piles of silver jewellery are the main items on sale, by the
Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi merchants.
Colourful fish and even two turtles swim in the crystal clear blue water of the harbour alongside fishing dhows and the massive bin Said yacht.
Its been 27 hours since we last slept, so within seconds of
putting our heads on the pillow we are unconscious. We wake just in time to
take a stroll along the corniche, which is obviously the place to be seen, with
Maserati’s vying with Lamborghini’s for attention.
Mosques are central to Islam, so what better way to show the
countries wealth and the benevolence of His Highness, the Sultan Qaboos, than
to build a magnificently opulent Grand Mosque for the nation.
With a carpet
that took 400 woman four years to weave, it has 1,700,000
knots, weighs 21 tons, measures over 70 × 60 meters, and covers the 4,343
square meter prayer hall, in a single piece.
A 14meter high, 8 ton Swarovski crystal
chandelier hangs from the central dome.
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