Oman Holidays

Introduction

The Sultanate of Oman is situated on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula and is located between Latitudes 16° 40' and 26° 20' North and Longitudes 51° 50' and 59° 40' East.

The coastline extends 1,700 Km from the Strait of Hormuz in the north, to the borders of the Republic of Yemen in the south and overlooks three seas: the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The Sultanate borders Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the West; the United Arab Emirates in the Northeast, the Republic of Yemen in the South; the Strait of Hormuz in the North and the Arabian Sea in the East.

The Musandam Peninsula forms the country's northern tip, and is separated from the rest of the Sultanate by United Arab Emirates' eastern coast and includes the only coast the Sultanate has on the Arabian Gulf.

Musandam is just over 50 Km (30 miles) south of the Islamic Republic of Iran across the Strait of Hormuz.

The total land area is around 309,500 Km2 and it is the third largest country in the Arabian Peninsula.

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Reaching Oman

Topography
Oman possesses a rich diverse topography ranging from rugged mountains and rocky deepwater fjords in the North, to the spectacular dunes of Sharqiyah (Wahiba) Sands and two large salt flats in the centre, to the lush green hills of Dhofar region in the South, with rugged coasts and placid beaches stretching along the 1,700 Km coastline.

The northern coastal strip along the Gulf of Oman is known as the Batinah Coast; a narrow fertile plain separated from the rest of the country by the Hajar Mountains. The highest peak is Jabal Shams (Sun Mountain) at 3,075 m. The southern slopes of the range are notable for their oasis towns where date groves flourish in the dry desert air.

In the south lies the second mountain range in Oman; the Qara Mountains, which attracts the light monsoon rains during the mid-summer months, turning them green with vegetation whose roots help delay the effects of erosion resulting in a soft rolling landscape more akin to central Africa.

As in the north, a narrow fertile coast plain lies between the mountains and the sea at whose centre Salalah lies, surrounded by lush vegetable farms and coconut groves.

When to Visit Oman

Climate
The varied geography of the Sultanate resulted in a wide variety of climatic conditions. Although lying in the tropics, th Sultanate is subject to seasonal changes like the more temperate regions of the world. The hottest months are June through August. The summer monsoon just touches the southern coast of Dhofar during these months bringing regular light rain to Salalah and reducing the average daytime highs to 30° C. The most pleasant months to visit Oman are mid October through March when daytime temperatures fall into the lower 30s and below. Rainfall varies but in general remains sparse and irregular. In the south most of the year's rainfall occurs during the summer monsoon months. In the north the opposite occurs. Here most rain comes from occasional winter storms which descend out of the eastern Mediterranean during the months of January through March, depositing an annual average of 10 cm of rain on the capital area.


Administrative Regions
The Sultanate is divided into eight administrative regions:
3 Governorates: and 5 Regions:

>> Muscat >> Al-Batinah
>> Dhofar >> Al-Dhahirah
>> Musandam >> Al-Dakhliyah
>> Al-Sharqiyah
>> Al-Wusta

Each of these is subdivided into smaller districts called Wilayats, which are governed by the Wali, the person responsible for administrating the area and reports to the Minister of the Interior. Muscat is the capital of Oman; a cosmopolitan, but relaxed city, free from the hustle and bustle found in many of Arabia's other capital cities. In the south of the Sultanate, is Salalah; the administrative capital of the Dhofar region.

Attraction in Oman

Muscat
Muscat is Oman's financial and trade centre. Hamad bin Said took Muscat as Oman's capital from Rustaq between 1779–1792 and this has never since been contested. Today, under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Muscat has improved beyond recognition, but has never lost its pride in its heritage and culture. The capital area is a prime example of intelligent and aesthetic development, blending the ancient and modern.

The shining prosperous city of today has amongst its successes: state-of-the-art hospitals, superior educational establishments, a major port– Mina Qaboos, Seeb International Airport alongside a national airline carrier–Oman Air, a TV and radio network and its own stock market– Muscat Security Market. The Governarate hosts 27.1% of the country's total population according to 2003 census.

Years ago, Muscat was walled in. However, the wall is now replaced by a stone moat, which the Omanis call Al-Hosn or the fortification. Parts of the original wall still remain in which are located the three main access gates to the city: Bab al Matha'eeb, the Greater Gate and the Lesser Gate.

Muscat has a number of beautiful beaches such as Qurum Beach, Bandar Al-Jissah and Yeti. Public gardens and parks are everywhere with Qurum Natural Park, Riam and Kalbouh being the most polular.

Famous landmarks include Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muttrah Souq, the forts of Al-Jalali and Al-Mirani which flank his Majesty's colourful and elegant Al-Alam Palace, Burj As-Sahwa, Clock Tower Square, and Al-Bustan Palace Hotel; a building of great eminence throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

Every year, the Muscat Festival draws crowds of visitors to enjoy the exhibitions and events which the Muscat Municipality organises.



Salalah
The city of Salalah, the administrative capital of Dhofar Governorate, lies on the Arabian Sea, around 1,040 Km from Muscat. The city has been subject to many historical and archaeological studies over the years and evidence has been found in the form of writing, inscriptions and signs indicating that a number of different civilisations have succeeded each other here, such as the ruins of Al-Blaid and Samhuram ancient cities. The city also encapasses Nabi Ayoub (Jacob) Tomb, housed in a small destictive doomed building surrounded by green hills as well as the Tomb of Prophit Omran.

Not all the sights in Salalah belong to the past, however. The city contains stunning beaches and steep, mountainous landscapes. The city has also a number of springs such as Ain Sahnot, Ain Rzat and Ain Hamran, around which the parks and gardens were setup. Salalah is quickly developing as a tourist resort and is attracting a number of international hotel chains like Hilton and Crowne Plaza.

Port Salalah, completed in 1998, is anticipated to become one of the world's most important container terminals. Its construction has provided jobs for many Omanis.



Sohar
Sohar was the main city of trade centuries ago. The city is renowned for its copper deposits, and archaeological evidence points to copper extraction being carried out 5,000 years ago. There are still three copper mines in operation in Sohar with over 18 million tons of copper deposits.

The city is an attractive region for tourists due to its clean, safe beaches and the plethora of archaeological features. One of the first references to 'Sohar' is in the work of historian, Yaqut Al-Hamawi who implies that the city took its name in the 6th century AH from a descendent of Noah: Sohar bin Adam bin Sam bin Noah. When the Palestinian Arab scholar Muqadisi visited the city in the 10th century AH, he described it as a "flourishing city with a large number of people living there. It is a beautiful city with a comfortable life, ...and its mosque overlooks the sea ... the Mihrab changes colour because it is covered in copper...".

Sohar Castle is one of the most prominent features in the city, alongside the magnificant roundabouts and beautiful public parks. Sohar is under tourist development and a number of deluxe hotels have now been built. A new port is under construction in the city, being built at a cost of OMR 120 million, and it will be home to the largest oil refinary in the Sultante. Sohar has many wadis with running water, such as Wadi Hibi, Wadi Ahin and Wadi Al-Jizzi.

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Off the Beaten Track

Nizwa
The oasis city of Nizwa, the largest in the interior province, was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries AH. Today, it is a diverse, prosperous area, which has many agricultural, historical, governmental and recreational aspects. Nizwa Castle, located in the town proper, is an imposing structure. With its connections to the root of Islam, Nizwa has a number of important mosques, such as Nizwa Mosque; a Friday mosque heralded as a 'beacon of science', So'al Mosque; built in the 2nd century AH, and Al-Shawadhana Mosque which is located in the district of Aqr.

Nizwa is famous for its bustling souq where tourists can buy exquisite copper and silver jewellery and other craft items. The souq is situated next to the castle and was renovated in the 1990's, costing OMR 2.5 million. The design of the souq compliments the castle in every way, and has been constructed using same traditional materials. In 1993, Nizwa won the award of 'Organisation of Arab Cities'.

There are around 90 afalaj in the area, the most important being Falaj Daris; the life maintainer of Nizwa gardens and the water supplier for all domestic purposes. The Wadi Tanuf Dam, completed in 1989, is designed to increase the supply of subterranean water which feeds the afalaj of Daris and Tanuf. The increased supply has led to an expansion in the agricultural area. The dam is 135m long and is located on the watercourse of Wadi Tanuf which is famous in the Middle East for its mineral water.

Sur
The main city and administrative centre of A'Sharqiyah Region. It is an ancient port and seafaring town that lies on the east coast 310 Km from Muscat. Portuguese, who ruled the Gulf in the 16th century, occupied Sur until it was recaptured by Nasser ibn Murshid, first Imam of Al-Ya'aribah dynasty, in the 17th century.

The name of Sur is thought to be derived from the city of Sur in south Lebanon (Tyre). Sur played a major part in the trade between Oman, East Africa, and India. A variety of goods were imported and exported through its port. It was one of the renowned centres for shipbuilding in the country, with great ocean going, high-sterned baghala and ghanja ships in continuous production. The division between Oman and Zanzibar in 1861, and the arrival of the British India Steam Navigation Company which operated between India and the Gulf, had a deleterious effect on the trading activities of the port, which thus affected the shipbuilding industry. Seven boatyards are now operated by the private sector, and craftsmen still use the traditional methods of shipbuilding to create ocean-going vessels. However, the tall ships are no longer made.

The Sur Maritime Museum charts the history of shipbuilding in the town. With its strong seafaring connections, it is hardly surprising that the legendary sailor, Sinbad, is thought to have originated there. A replica of the type of boat Sinbad sailed is situated in the Al-Bustan roundabout in Muscat.

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