OMAN: Sultanate Architecture – Muscat – مسقط – Masqaṭ – Streetlife in the Capital

Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, has around 1.5 million inhabitants and is the country’s political, economic, and cultural center. Located between the Gulf of Oman and surrounding mountains, it has a long history as an important trading port connecting Arabia with India, Persia, and East Africa. This heritage is still visible today in landmarks such as the Portuguese forts Al Jalali and Al Mirani, while the modern city has developed in a calm, low-rise style that preserves traditional architecture and a distinct local identity. As Oman’s cultural hub, Muscat is home to key institutions like the National Museum of Oman, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and the Royal Opera House Muscat, alongside a growing contemporary art scene with galleries, exhibitions, and events such as the Muscat Festival, making it a place where history, culture, and striking natural surroundings come together.

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OMAN: Adventurous Wadi Shab – Journey between Desert and Water

A wadi is a valley or river that often leads to water only after heavy rains. Surprising flash floods can be caused by distant thunderstorms that fall in the correspondingly large catchment area of the wadi. The stay in Wadis with steep banks, but also in very wide wadis can become life-threatening in such cases. We went on a exploring tour to see some of those wadis, in summer time there is definitly no danger, maybe you could fall asleep and drown while relaxing in warm chilled basins and swimming pool like valleys of the wadis. One of the those famous and fantastic wadis is Wadi Shab, which we visited on our journey.

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OMAN: Sultanate Streetart – Graffiti and Urban Art at the Wadis

With this country we were really faced with a whole new challenge. Find graffiti and street art in Oman? … Hmmm … is there anything like that? First of all, we can say that so much can be found in architectural art and in a beautiful natural landscape. But with murals it looks more difficult. The whole sultanate consists almost entirely of desert and in the cities everything is kept very „uniform“ and regulated. Nevertheless, Oman is one of the more open and liberal countries on the Arabian Peninsula, worth a visit. And we still found some graffiti stuff, but then you have to look very carefully.

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