Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 99 328754; Al-Bahri Rd, Mutrah; 9.30-11.30am & 4.30-7pm Sat-Thu)
Straddling the road
between the corniche and the old walled city, this museum, with the original gates used
until the 1970s to keep land-bound marauders out, marks the position of the old city wall
and introduces Muscat proper. It is also a vantage point for the corniche and the diwan. A
drive up to the aerial mast on the neighbouring hill gives an even better view of Mutrah
and Muscat.
Sultan's Palace
PALACE
(Al-Alam; ; off Al-Saidiya St, Muscat)
If you stand by the harbour wall on Mirani St, the building
to the right with the delightful mushroom pillars in blue and gold is the Sultan's Palace.
Built over the site of the former British embassy, there used to be the stump of a flagpole
in the grounds: the story goes that any slave (Oman was infamous for its slave trade from
East Africa) who touched the flagpole was granted freedom. On the inland side, an avenue
of palm trees leads to a roundabout surrounded by grand royal court buildings and the yet-
to-open national museum. Pause in front of the colonnaded approach to the palace for a
quintessential photograph of Muscat. The palace is closed to the public.
Al-Jalali Fort
FORT
Guarding the entrance to the harbour to the east, Al-Jalali Fort was built during the Por-
tuguese occupation in the 1580s on Arab foundations.
The fort is accessible only via a steep flight of steps. As such, it made the perfect prison
for a number of years, but now it is a museum of Omani heritage, open only to visiting
dignitaries and heads of state.
Neither this fort nor Al-Mirani Fort is open to the public, but photos are permitted. Dur-
ing palace military occasions, bagpipers perform from the fort battlements, and the royal
dhow and yacht are sailed in full regalia into the harbour. With fireworks reflected in the
water, it makes a spectacular sight.
Al-Mirani Fort
FORT
Al-Mirani Fort was built at the same time as Al-Jalali Fort. It contributed to the fall of the
Portuguese through a curious affair of the heart: legend has it that the Portuguese com-
mander fell for the daughter of a Hindu supplier, who refused the match on religious
