Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
grounds. On being threatened with ruin, he spent a year apparently preparing for the wed-
ding, but in fact convinced the commander that the fort's supplies needed a complete
overhaul. Instead of replacing the removed gunpowder and grain, he gave the nod to
Imam Sultan bin Saif, who succeeded in retaking the defenceless fort in 1649. The Por-
tuguese were ousted from Muscat soon after. The fort is not open to the public.
Bayt al-Zubair
MUSEUM
( 24 736688;
www.baitalzubairmuseum.com
; Al-Saidiya St; adult/child OR2/1; 9.30am-6pm Sat-Thu)
In a
beautifully restored house, this museum exhibits Omani heritage in photos and displays of
traditional handicrafts and furniture.
Omani-French Museum
MUSEUM
( 24 736613; Qasr al-Alam St; adult/child 500/200 baisa; 8am-1.30pm Sat-Wed, 9am-1pm Thu year-round,
4-7pm Sat-Thu Oct-Mar)
With galleries detailing relations between the two countries, this mu-
seum provides an interesting snapshot of mostly 19th-century colonial life in Muscat.
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1
Al-Bustan
Al-Bustan Palace
NOTABLE BUILDING
(off Sidab St, Al-Bustan)
Set in lush gardens, this sumptuous hotel was built as a venue for the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in 1985. Remarkable for its enormous domed
atrium, the hotel is worth a visit just to admire the building's interior and the location.
Al-Bustan Roundabout
LANDMARK
Just outside Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, a small roundabout is home to the
Sohar
, a boat
named after the hometown of the famous Omani seafarer Ahmed bin Majid. The boat is a
replica of one sailed by Abdullah bin Gasm in the mid-8th century to Guangzhou in Ch-
ina. It was built in the dhow yards of Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and four
tonnes of rope. Not a single nail was used in the construction. Tim Severin and a crew of
Omani sailors undertook a famous voyage to Guangzhou in this boat in 1980 - a journey
of 6000 nautical miles that took eight months to complete.
Marina Bandar al-Rowdha
HARBOUR
