Oman - Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula - page 342

the town's prosperity was built on copper that was mined locally and then shipped to
Mesopotamia and Dilmun (modern-day Bahrain).
The town boasts one of the prettiest and best-kept seafronts in the country, but little
more than legend - and a triumphal arch over the Muscat-Sohar Hwy - marked its place
in history until a decade ago when a vast port-side industrial area transformed the town in-
to a city. The port has brought jobs, an influx of expatriates, new residential areas, giant
malls, a five-star hotel, a regional hospital complex and a new university illustrative of
Sohar's new wealth. In fact, rumour on the street is that Sohar has pretensions of grandeur
that more than match its copper-mining heyday. Watch out Muscat!
Most of Sohar's sites of interest lie along or near the corniche, 3km from the Mus-
cat-Sohar Hwy. Note that there is a lot of construction along the Muscat-Sohar Hwy,
where dangerous junctions and roundabouts are being replaced with flyovers. Work is
likely to continue into 2014.
Sights
Sohar's glorious beach , with glossy-smooth strands of sand, runs without interruption into
the distance. Access to the beach is easiest from a car park next to Sohar's municipal park (
sunrise-sunset) . Look under the hedges for the mighty minotaur, the largest beetle
in Arabia. This nicely maintained park is next to Sohar Beach Hotel, north along the sea
front.
The fish market OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , built in the shape of a dhow, punctuates
the northern end of the corniche and is fun to visit early in the morning. Also worth a visit
is the traditional handicraft souq ( 8am-noon Sat-Thu) . Only half the workshops in this modern
arcade are open but there's a few mat-weaving establishments and an apothecary, where
you can pick up some bukhorr hassad, a mixture of natural ingredients to ward off the evil
eye. Try sage for sore throats, frankincense for constipation and myrrh for joint pains. The
opening to the souq is at a bend in Sohar Rd by Al-Jadeeda Stores.
Built in the 13th century, Sohar's distinctive white fort allegedly boasts a 10km tunnel
intended as an escape route during a siege. Easier to find is the small museum in the fort's
tower, which outlines local history, and the tomb of one of Oman's 19th-century rulers,
Sayyid Thuwaini bin Sultan al-Busaid, the ruler of Oman from 1856 to 1866. The fort has
been closed for several years for restoration. Neighbouring the fort is Sohar's newly re-
vamped heritage souq : the addition of a covered walkway, arcade and wooden doors for the
shops has made it a more interesting and attractive place for a wander.