The New City - Seeb, Al Mouj, Al Ghubrah
Seeb. Located on the seafront, some ten kilometers from the first districts of the "city center" (although this last name is not appropriate for a capital as fragmented as Muscat, made up of a mosaic of districts), the municipality of Seeb, which is home to the country's international airport, has two faces: that of increasing modernity and the capital's obvious northward expansion; and that of a sort of village built lengthways, with a fairly popular center, its souk and fish market, small boutiques, clothing and fabric stores, banks and coffee-shops. Here stands one of the country's largest and oldest malls: the Muscat City Center. In the immediate vicinity of the airport is the sultanate's largest convention center, frequented by many a businessman: The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. In addition to its main hall and parking areas, the centre boasts 5 exhibition halls covering 22,000 m², 20 meeting rooms, 2 auditoriums seating 3,200 and 456 respectively, and 2 function rooms. Several hotels and apartments are directly adjacent, including the JW Marriott and the Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC, each with around 300 rooms - www.omanconvention.com. Accommodation in Seeb is also reasonably priced, perfect for those who don't like the hectic atmosphere of big cities and want to be in touch with the locals.
Al Mouj. At the gateway to the city, 5 km from the airport and some ten kilometers from the center of Seeb along the coastal road, accessible via the Al Mouj traffic circle, this recently built area is a bit like Muscat's Beverly Hills, the brand-new bling-bling district where many foreigners and wealthy Omanis live. This is where you'll find Oman Sail's headquarters and the adjacent marina, several cafés and restaurants, a shopping mall and a large beach, which is pleasant and very uncrowded during the week. The area, with its modern, graphic architecture, is constantly expanding and is home to brand-new hotels: Mysk by Shaza, Kempinsky Hotel Muscat and, most recently, The Saint Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort.
More at the heart of things and life, Al Ghubrah, to the east of Seeb and Al Mouj, is more popular with its small boutiques and numerous coffee-shops. If the first impression is that of arriving in a simple neighborhood, it's nothing of the sort... You enter a maze of streets with superb white houses, home to Omanis and expatriates. It's best to know where you're going, as you quickly get lost. Further on, on the main road towards Qurm, we pass by the Great Mosque of Sultan Qaboos: a superb example of Islamic architecture, impressive in both its size and the purity of its lines.
Residential areas - Al Khuwair, Qurm
Al Khuwair is a city in itself. Shopping malls (Muscat Grand Mall, Panorama Mall, Avenue Mall and, most recently, Muscat Grand Mall), hotels, restaurants, business centers, residential areas... the district is in a state of perpetual transformation and is undoubtedly one of the most cosmopolitan parts of the capital, where locals and expatriates rub shoulders. It's easy to stray from the chic areas of the district to enjoy the simplicity of the popular restaurants - shawarma and grilled fish on the terrace. Beware, though, that places are very expensive in the evening! People come to Al Khuwair more for its atmosphere than for the beauty of its architecture. Of particular note, however, are the superb Zawawi mosque and the HSBC headquarters, visible on the right-hand side of the road when coming from Seeb, and featuring a 10-metre-high door, supposedly gilded with fine gold.
Madinat as Sultan Qaboos is located slightly higher up, to the right of the main road when approaching from the north, opposite Qurm. It's mainly a residential area, popular with the expatriate population. There's a small shopping mall and several nice, high-quality restaurants.
Qurm is built lengthways along the seafront, between Al Ghubrah and Mutrah. It's a very airy, flowery area, one of the capital's liveliest and most pleasant. Traffic circles and roadsides are veritable gardens, green and meticulously maintained, which is not always easy in such a climate. The area is divided into three districts: Qurm, the friendliest and busiest; Qurm Heights, a little uptown as its name suggests; and Shati al-Qurm, the most luxurious, all focused on the immaculate whiteness of the Royal Opera House, one of the city's most emblematic buildings.
Wedged between Mutrah and Madinat as Sultan Qaboos, Qurm is the most dynamic of the three. This is where most of the shopping malls are concentrated: Al-Araimi Complex, Sabco Center, Capital Commercial Center... People come here to stroll around, strolling from one floor to the next amidst stores selling fabrics, clothing, sports equipment, hi-fi, books, etc., or to take a break or enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants in the area... Qurm is also Muscat's green lung, thanks to its park (Qurm Heights Park) and, above all, its nature reserve, Qurm National Park and Nature Reserve, which boasts large areas of greenery, a lake, a rose garden, a mangrove where many species of birds nest, and so on. A favorite haunt of the expatriate and Omani populations, the reserve is often visited in the evenings and at weekends by local families who come to stroll, bask, practice sports or enjoy leisure activities...
The other two parts of Qurm run all the way to Al Ghubrah without ever losing sight of the beach: long, beautiful, sandy. No wonder the area has been snapped up by major hotel chains such as Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, W or Hyatt (Grand Hyatt). The area is actually quite pleasant, with its path following the seafront in the shade of palm trees. Quiet in the morning, the area comes alive in the afternoon, when the beach is invaded by soccer players, families and couples. In the evening, the "guinguettes" light up and some Muscat residents come to enjoy the coolness of the coast for a picnic. Popular and renowned, the district is home to most embassies and ministries, and also welcomes night owls.
Historic districts - Ruwi, Mutrah, Muscat
We enter Ruwi at the traffic circle of the same name. A line of unruly cabs blocks the exit, the horns start to honk and the traffic intensifies at rush hour. This is because the area, which is home to a large number of offices, is regularly jammed. Unlike other districts, people walk in the street, and the crowds are dense and teeming. As the resident population is predominantly Indian, you'll find some of the charm of Delhi's bazaars here. The long Al-Jaame Street rises up, wedged between two mountains. In the middle of this street runs a dry riverbed, the wadi Al-Kabir.
Ruwi is divided into two sectors, the main one being the business district around Markaz Mutrah al-Tijani Street. On this street, the beauty of the Central Bank building can be appreciated, with its pink and white tones and oriental-style architecture. The entire area, often referred to as the CBD (Central Business District), is home to the headquarters of the major banks, the majority of travel agencies and a number of government ministries. Unless you have something specific to do or find, it's not a great place for a stroll. Surrounding Souq Ruwi Street is the "find-it-all" district: counterfeit stores, garages, carpenters, tailors... It's a world apart, full of life and very picturesque. It's also a hub, where you have to come and poke around to find the wonders!
Mutrah is the symbol of the country's economic development, combined with the preservation of its culture and traditions. It is the most visited and most touristy district, along with Old Muscat, just a few kilometers away. This is where the sultanate's maritime past comes to the fore. At the foot of the immense harbour, the fish market is still held. Although it is now housed in a new, more sanitized hall, with far less local color than the ramshackle stalls of yesteryear, it still sells the morning's latest arrivals, as in the past. A corniche, laid out as a dyke for strolling, runs along the coast. To the left, the sea; to the right, near the entrance to the port, a series of houses with white wooden facades and carved balconies. They were built by the Lawatiya, merchants who came from India in the 17th century. These Shiite merchants had the particularity of not mixing with other communities, and distinguished themselves by living in a strictly private quarter on al-Lawatiya. Today, with the influx of tourists to Mutrah, their neighborhood is tending to open up. Right next door, at the foot of the beautiful blue-domed Lawati mosque, the Mutrah souk is an Ali Baba's cave of clothing, incense, jewelry, handicrafts and more. In this popular and lively area, it's not uncommon to witness impromptu card games on the sidewalks. In the afternoon, the benches along the corniche fill up... A little further on, a jetty has been converted into a park where families come to spend a few hours and picnic. A giant white censer, perched atop a hill, offers a spectacular view of the port and bay from its platform.
Following the corniche road, you come to Old Muscat, whose entrance is symbolized by an imposing gateway that has been converted into a museum. The road winds its way through the tortuous city; the roundabout turns in a circle, parallel to the fortifications of the royal city. Three entrances give access to the fortified part of the city: one near the Sultan's Palace, another opposite the Franco-Manais Museum (Bait Faransa) and a third from the port. The city is thus enclosed between its walls and the sea. It is in fact a small cove wedged between mountains and dominated by two rock forts, Al-Jibali and Al-Mirani. Muscat's port, at the entrance to the mouth, faces the sultan's palace, the imposing Alam Palace, an ostentatious and astonishing building adorned in gold. Opposite, on the other side of a vast esplanade, The National Museum is as minimalist and immaculate as the Palace is colorful and busy. With their brown wooden doors and balconies, the white houses of the walled city are of great beauty. They once housed embassies, which have since moved to the Qurm district. We'll take our time wandering around this simple, charming city, which was once the glory of the country and is still its symbol today. It's a tourist attraction, one of the capital's main points of interest along with Mutrah. Allow a good half-day for a tour, including visits to its three main museums (the National Museum, the Bait Al Zubair Museum and the Franco-Manais Museum). You'll find plenty of places to eat, but for accommodation, you'll have to move closer to Mutrah or spend a night in the country's most beautiful palace, Al-Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, with its lobby worthy of a royal palace.
