You could say that Oman is an open country and it is not as strict compared to Saudi Arabia. But there are certain restrictions. Even if you’re not Muslim, you can’t wear revealing clothing and super short skirts. Women must ride at the back of the car or the cab and alcohol consumption is regulated. Other than that, you can enjoy Oman and the many interesting attractions it shares with the world. This is an Oman travel guide list, just to make sure that you will cover the most important places to visit in Oman.
1. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the most beautiful structures in the whole Arabic peninsula. It is the central mosque of Oman which began construction in 1995. Sultan Qaboos believed that Oman should have a main place of worship and he envisioned how he wanted this mosque to be as it was one of his legacies. It has the world’s second largest chandelier which is 14 meters in height and imported from Italy. The carpet of the mosque was purely hand-woven with 1.7 Billion knots which took them 4 years to finish. It is one of the places to visit in Oman.
2. Bahla Fort
The Bahla Fort is a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO. It was inscribed in 1987 and was given criteria iv. There are four significant fortresses in Oman and Bahla Fort is one of them. The other three forts are the Izki Fort, Rustaq Fort and as mentioned already, the Nizwa Fort. The Bahla Fort was erected sometime in the 13th – 14th century and it is on Jebel Akhdar, or the Green Mountain of Oman, which is also another famous landmark.
3. Bait al Zubair
The Bait al Zubair is another museum in Oman located at the Al Saidiya Street. It is a foundation which means the museum is for non-profit and it was opened for public viewing in 1998. The Zubair family of Oman has donated a big sum just for the establishment of this great structure. You will see the history, the culture, the traditions and the art inspirations of Oman and the people living in it. That would be an interesting visit.
4. Royal Opera House Muscat
The Royal Opera House Muscat is one of the places to visit in Oman. It is in Shati Al-Qurm and is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Oman not only for foreign visitors but also for the locals, as well. If you are looking for musical nights, then, the Royal Opera is your place to be. It was unveiled in 2011 and it took 4 years for the whole structure to be completed. It can accommodate 1,100 spectators at one time.
5. Jebel Akhdar
Jebel Akhdar is a mountain range in Oman which literally means Green Mountain. It forms part of the Al Hajar Mountains and its highest peak is called the Jebel Shams which is 9,800 feet in height. The peak is majorly in limestone and it is a particularly desert-like summit but there is a portion on the mountains that welcomes precipitation. They have these glorious terraces full of shrubs, trees and living flora and fauna which are very unique because desert places like Oman rarely have fully green forests.
6. Al Alam Palace
Al Alam Palace was taken after the Arabic words Al Alam which means The Flag. Sultan Qaboos owns this palace and it is one of his royal residences. The Sultan has about six of them in the country. It was a family heirloom, so to speak. His royal grandfather, Imam Sultan bin Ahmed was the one who initiated the building of this beautiful home and it has been there for 200 years. At present time, it is where royal visitors and diplomatic officials are being welcomed.
7. Nizwa Fort
The Nizwa Fort is also a castle in Nizwa. It has a main tower wherein you can view Nizwa in panorama. The fort was created through the initiative of Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya’rubi sometime in 1650 but the base of the fort was already present since the 12th century. The fort is very important in the history of Oman because it stood its ground even during war periods. In fact, Imams and Walis of Oman would meet in Nizwa Fort to discuss about their strategies.
8. Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum
The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum is a military museum but it’s not just about a collection of military arms and weapons. It has lower rooms and upper rooms which display a different collection, far from military relics. The history of Oman is displayed in the lower rooms while the upper rooms are filled with evidences of diplomatic relationships with other nations. If you want something grand and original, this is one of the places to visit in Oman.
9. Nakhal Fort
The Nakhal Fort was established after the name Wilayah of Nakhal. They used to call the fort, Husn Al Heem. There is no exact year as to when it was erected but it was believed to have been established during the Pre-Islamic era. Imam Said bin Sultan had it renovated and it was finally complete in 1834. This particular fort is on top of an uneven and rocky hill. Just imagine how difficult it must have been to build this fort!
10. Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre
The Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre is an oil and gas, natural reserves museum located in Seih Al Maleh Street, Al-Qurum. It was opened in 1995 by Petroleum Development Oman as a donation to the country. The company is to mostly responsible for the buildings and structures within the country. It thrives on oil and gas which is why this interactive centre was built – to educate everyone about oil, gas and usage of fossil fuels.
11. Muscat Gate Museum
The Muscat Gate Museum is one of the places to visit in Oman. It has everything about Oman’s history as early as the Neolithic era up to today. That is somewhere between 10,200 BC to 2,000 BC. It is located in Al Saidiya Street and is being supervised by the Ministry of Defence. The Muscat Gate Museum was operational since January of 2001 and it has a lot of special exhibits. Actually, the gate itself is the attraction as it divides the Muscat proper and the old city.
12. Omani French Museum
The Omani French Museum is situated in the old residence of the former Consul of France in Oman at Qasr Al Alam Street in Muscat. In 1896, Sultan Assayed / Faisal bin Turki ordered the construction of the white building which was originally termed as a palace to serve as a present for the French Consul at that time. Oman and France have a very good relationship which is why in 1992, Sultan Qaboos bin Said and former President of France, François Mitterrand, decided to create a museum to preserve the long-standing friendship of the two nations.
13. Oman Natural History Museum
The Oman Natural History Museum was founded in 1985 and it displays an broad collection of Oman’s forest wildlife. It also has a gallery showing aboriginal mammals, birds and “creepy-crawlies”, as they call it. The museum also boasts of its Whale Room gallery. In the eighties, a sperm whale docked on the coasts of Oman and died there. Its massive skeleton is now in the Oman Natural History Museum. Aside from that, prehistoric fossils are also presented for public viewing.
14. Oman Children’s Museum
The Oman Children’s Museum is a science museum for 26 years now. It was founded in 1990 through the efforts of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and is located at Sultan Qaboos Street in Muscat. Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said was the one who launched the museum on the 20th National Day of Oman and the curator now is Samirah Ahmed al Raisi who has been handling museum affairs for the last six years. The museum is divided into three categories namely, Human Living, the Science of Physics and the Progression of Science.
15. The National Museum (Sultanate of Oman)
The National Museum (Sultanate of Oman) was founded in 2013 and the purpose of it being established is to educate everyone of everything about Oman – everyone being citizens and tourists and everything being the past, present and future. The museum has remnants from people living in the country as early as 2 million years ago. It has fourteen permanent exhibitions too which includes The Land and the People Gallery, the Oman and the World Gallery and the Splendours of Islam Gallery, among others. One of the places to visit in Oman is this museum. You have to include it in your itinerary.
