Theme Week Oman – Masirah Island

25 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Kite surfing © flickr.com - StellarD/cc-by-2.0

Kite surfing © flickr.com – StellarD/cc-by-2.0

Masirah or Mazeira Island is an island off the East coast of Oman, 95 km long north-south, between 12 and 14 km wide, with an area of about 649 km², and a population estimated at 12,000 in 12 villages mainly in the north of the island. Administratively, it forms one of the eleven provinces of the Ash Sharqiyah Region. The principal village is Ras-Hilf in the northern part of the island. It contains a Royal Air Force of Oman air base and a fish factory, as well as a few small towns.   read more…

Theme Week Oman – Nizwa

24 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Nizwa Souq © flickr.com - Francisco Anzola/cc-by-2.0

Nizwa Souq © flickr.com – Francisco Anzola/cc-by-2.0

Nizwa is the largest city in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about 140 km (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 700,000 people including the two areas of Burkat Al Mooz and Al Jabel Al Akhdar. The city is home to the University of Nizwa. Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and it was once a center of trade, religion, education and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was formerly a center for Islamic learning. The city, famous for its handicrafts and agricultural products, has an expansive souq with an array of products. It is one of the most important in the country besides Muttrah. The souq bustles with vendors selling everything from meat, fish, fruits and vegetables to spices, dates, gold and silverware. Nizwa is renowned for its silver jewelry which is considered to be the best in the country. Its people are masters in Khanjar making (curved dagger), recognised for its distinctive style and patterns. They also make copper ware, coffee pots, swords, leather goods and pottery.   read more…

Theme Week Oman – Sohar

23 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Sohar Gate © flickr.com - StellarD/cc-by-sa-2.0

Sohar Gate © flickr.com – StellarD/cc-by-sa-2.0

Sohar is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town, Sohar has also been credited as the mythical birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor.   read more…

Theme Week Oman – Khasab

22 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Khasab Castle © StellarD/cc-by-sa-3.0

Khasab Castle © StellarD/cc-by-sa-3.0

Khasab is a city in an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates. It is the local capital of the Musandam peninsula and has frequently been dubbed the “Norway of Arabia” because of its extensive fjord-like craggy inlets and desolate mountainscapes. Boats from Khasab take tourists on trips to view the dolphins common in the waters around the Musandam, as well as to visit Telegraph Island, for a short time (between 1865 and 1868) the site of a manned telegraph repeater station on the cable section between Bahrain and Bombay.   read more…

Theme Week Oman – Salalah

21 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Downtown Salalah © StellarD/cc-by-sa-3.0

Downtown Salalah © StellarD/cc-by-sa-3.0

Salalah, is the capital and seat of the wali (governor) of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. Its population is at around 200,000.   read more…

Theme Week Oman

20 June 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  13 minutes

The traditionell Dhow, an enduring symbol of Oman © Pranav21391

The traditionell Dhow, an enduring symbol of Oman © Pranav21391

Oman, is an Arab country in the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the nation is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and Gulf of Oman forming Musandam’s coastal boundaries.   read more…

Al Faisaliyah Center in Saudi Arabia

25 April 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Hotels Reading Time:  4 minutes

King Fahd Road © BroadArrow/cc-by-sa-3.0

King Fahd Road © BroadArrow/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Al Faisaliyah Centre is a commercial skyscraper located in the business district of Riyadh. It is the fourth tallest building in Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom Centre, Burj Rafal and Abraj Al Bait. It is also called Star Dome.   read more…

The Kingdom Centre in Riyadh

20 January 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  5 minutes

Riyadh Skyline © Muhaidib

Riyadh Skyline © Muhaidib

Kingdom Centre is a 65-storey, 302.3 m (992 ft) skyscraper in Riyadh. It is the third tallest skyscraper in the country after the Abraj Al Bait Towers and the Burj Rafal, and is the world’s third tallest building with a hole after the Shanghai World Financial Center and Tuntex Sky Tower.   read more…

Muscat in Oman

22 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  12 minutes

Al-Khuwair neighborhood © Joe Castleman/cc-by-sa-3.0

Al-Khuwair neighborhood © Joe Castleman/cc-by-sa-3.0

Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate reached 1.2 million as of April 2014. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) and includes six provinces called wilayats. Known since the early 1st century CE as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, Portuguese Empire and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat’s influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochis and Gujaratis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.   read more…

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