The Landscape of Oman

The landscapes of the Sultanate of Oman are very different and offer some surprises, to one who has never been to a desert region.
The northernmost part of the country is the Musandam Peninsula, extending into the strait of Hormuz, a narrow, but important searoute for oil tankers supplying the world with one-fifth of available petroleum reserves.
Northern Oman is surrounded by the rugged Hajar mountains, a veritable paradise for geologists. Here a plethora of natural formations are openly accessible for observation and study, such as exposed layers of oceanic deposits that have subsequently thrust to the surface.
The central part of the country is part of the large central Arabian desert, known as the R’ub al Khali, the Empty Quarter. It covers a quarter of the Arabian peninsula and is, for the most part, a barren wasteland. In this region between the Hajar mountains of the north and southern Oman, a flat gravel plain extends on 800 kilometers.
In the south of Oman, the region of Dhofar, there exists a world unto for itself. From the dry plain the landscape of the Nejd, an escarpmentrises up to form the

plateau surrounding Salalah on the coast. This limestone massif gives way to a fertile plain with sandy beaches. From June to August the south west monsoon of the Indian Ocean transforms the region into a tropical paradise.

The Musandam Peninsula

The Musandam Peninsula is separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. At the Strait of Hormuz, the cliffs of the Hajar mountains fall steeply into the sea. The name Musandam refers actually only to an island in the extreme north of the peninsula, however the name became generally accepted for the whole area.
Its wildly fissured fjord-like landscape gives it the designation "Norway of the Middle East". The Omanis know it by the name ruus al-jibaal: Heading of the mountains.

About 28,000 people live in this region, most of them living in the regional capital, Khasab.
These people are seminomadic- in summer they live along the coast; in winter they stay in the mountains. During their absence they stow away their supplies in buildings called bait al-qafl.

Khasab

Since 1998 the town is linked to Dubai in the UAE by an impressive road along the coast. There is not much to be seen at Khasab, except the old fortress built by the Portuguese of the 15th century.

BUT: it is worth while to experience the daily arrival of the smugglers from Iran, who load and unload boats of contraband goods before they start their trip back home an hour's ride across the strait. From Iran goats, sheep and gazelle are brought in exchange for cigarettes and household appliances.

Storage in the Bait al Qafl

Bait al-qafl means "the locked house". It is here where goods are kept under lock and key.
These houses were built to stow the farmers' meager over extended periods of time and keep it secure against theft during long periods of absence.
These houses exist only on the Musandam peninsula. Some are over 200 years old and maintained by the local families.
They are constructed of thick windowless walls of stone, standing about two meters high from the ground.

They consist of a single room between four and six square meters. Soil is placed along the floor about a meter deeply and serves as insulation. Large bowls of clay were used to store grain.

The Batinah Coast

The Batinah Coast is a fertile plain extending between the Western Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman. It runs along the sea for 400 kilometers with an width between to 10-50 kilometers.
It is the vegetable garden of the Sultanate. Rainfall in the mountains ensures an all-season harvest. Bananas, mangos, limes, tomatoes, other vegetables, and of course dates are cultivated in these farms.
Throughout history this land was coveted by foreign interests. Several times in the past invaders landed their armies along the coastline to usurp the land.

This explains the many small forts built in this area to protect the local population. One of the oldest forts is situated in Sohar.

Sohar

Already in the 3rd Century A.D. the city was known by the Persian name of Mazur. With beginning of the Islamic period (and the end of the Persian rule) in the 7th Century, the name Sohar is quoted in several sources.
The city is called the "gate to China", because by this time Oman was already trading with the Far East.
It is alleged that Sindbad the sailor was born in Sohar. The fortress here is well worth a visit. Today it houses a museum with collections of artifacts representing different periods of Omani history.

After the destruction of the city in the 10th Century it never rose to its former glory, living a shadowy existence through the centuries.However, in the past 30 years it has developed again to one of the most important economic centers of Oman.

The Western Hajar Mountains

The Hajar (hajar is rocky in Arabic) Mountains run from the Musandam Peninsula, south-easterly to Ras al Hadd, the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, a length of almost 600 kilometers along the coast of the sultanate. A natural passage, the Sumail gap, separates the mountains into eastern and a western sections. The highest summit, the Jabal Shams (3009 meters) is situated in the Western Hajars mountains and belongs to the Jabal Akhdar (Green Mountain) massif.
The rocks of this region are predominantly oceanic crust and ophiolite (rocks formed in the mantle layer of the earth), and pushed to the surface approximately 90 million years ago.
Rain falling on the high flanks of the mountains supplies an artificial system of irrigation canals, known as the aflaj, providing hundreds of mountain oases with water.

Until the latter part of the 20th century Oman was politically divided. The coastal area was ruled by a sultan in Muscat, while the interior was controlled by a religious leader (imam).
It is this region in the Western Hajars, including the cities of Nizwa, Bahla, Jabreen, Nakhl and Rostaq, where the temporary seat of government of the imams was located. Nizwa is still called today the secret capital of Oman.

The Eastern Hajar Mountains

The Eastern Hajar Mountains are not as high as the Western Hajars. Like its western counterpart, the Eastern hajars are predominantly limesotne. Here you can also find deep ravines, where water is running throughout the year.
Of these, the most beautiful are Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Bani Khalid. Wadi is the Arabic term for riverbed. On the coast in the eastern province of Sharqiyah, the old port Sur is located.

High on the Jabal Bani Jabar plateau above the coast, about 60 grave towers were dis- covered only a few years ago by a pilot traversing over the range.
These constructions, known as the Bruje Kibaykib Tombs, are up to eight meters high. They are presumed to be five thousand years old.

Sur

Throughout history, Sur played an important role, particularly in the overseas trade with East Africa. The city is situated on a large lagoon, which is used today as natural port.
The dhow yards at the lagoon are still of some, albeit fading, importance. They belong to the last of their kind on the Arabian peninsula. Dhows for fishermen are built here in old tradition, still manufactured mostly by hand.

The Capital Area

The historic port of Muscat is situated in a small bay encircled by jagged cliffs (from the Arabic masqat, place of anchorage).
The greater Muscat area extends from Muscat and its sister port at Mutrah to the former fishering settlement of Seeb, where the international airport is situated nearby, 40 kilometers away.
In former times camels needed severalhours to cover this distance, today it can be attained on a modern highway in less than one hour.

Muscat

In earlier times the old city of Muscat was the center of the maritime trade, the seat of the Sultan and a base for Portuguese commerce. Today the city is an administrative center of the modern Omani state.

The new palace of Sultan Qaboos (Al Alam Palace) is situated close to the bay between the two fortresses Jalali and Mirani. These were built by the Portuguese near the end of the 16th Century to protect Muscat from Turkish invasions.

Mutrah

Despite modern shopping centres in the greater capital area, the old market of Mutrah is still an important supply center for the Omanis. Here there is everything, from spices to housewares, clothing and decoration, to toys to antiquities to gold and silver.
In past centuries the port at Mutrah was a starting point for commercial caravans into the interior.

The bay itself was too shallow for modern container vessels. In the 1970s it was dredged and develped into an important container port. The harbor construction, however, brought about the dismantling of one of the two fortresses in Mutrah built by of the Portuguese.
Today the modern fish and vegetable souq (market) sits on the former location of that fort.

Ja’alan

The region of Ja’alan is located in Sharqiyah near the Eastern Hajar Mountains. The coastal setting here is one of the most beautiful in Oman.
At the easternmost point of Oman and theArabian Peninsula, lies Ras al-Hadd, and the wildlife refuge of Ras al-Jinz. Here green turtles can be observed at night, protected by ministerial decree, coming onto the beach to lay their eggs throughout the year.

The Ramlat al Wahibah (or Wahibah Sands) lies just west of this province. Its inhabitants are the Bedouins, nomadic peoples who breed racing camels, which are prized throughout the entire Arabian peninsula.
To the south the dunes of the Wahibah extend 200 km to the beaches of the Indian Ocean, and along the northern edge the two oasis towns of Bilad Bani Bu Ali and Bilad Bani Bu Hassan are situated.

Bilad Bani Bu Ali and Bilad Bani Bu Hassan

Both towns consist of small but growing settlements, along terraces in the bed of Wadi Batha. Lush green palm gardens cover the banks of the wadi.
The names of these two oases are typical for the region. They refer to two important tribes of the area meaning "city of the sons of Ali" and "city of the sons of Hassan."
Although in the past there was a long standing hostility between the two tribes (separated by a distance of only kilo- meters), today, peace prevails as it does everywhere in the sultanate.

Central Oman

The flat plains of Central Oman extend from the Hajar Mountains in the north to the mountains of Dhofar in the south for a distance of 800 kilometers. Vegetation is sparse and also human activity is hardly found in this naturally hostile environment.
In the west the dunes of the Empty Quarter cross the boundary from Saudi Arabia. Single dunes spreading over the gravel plains into the savannah of the Jiddat al-Harasis where another wildlife reserve has been set aside to protect the Arabian Oryx.

The one paved road from Muscat to Salalah runs right through the plains and passes by the small settlement of Hayma.
Further to the east along the coast long sandy beaches are found running from at al-Khaluf, near al-Duqm, down through fissured coastal shelf at Ra’s Madrakah to beautiful bays and wadis at Shuwaimiyah, stretching for distances of several hundred kilometers.
The coast is more populatedhere. Several small fishing villages are to be found here. Although far from the urban area, modernization has taken place here as well. Small desalination plants treat sea water to provide the towns with a supply of drinking water.

Hayma

Actually one hardly can speak of Hayma as a city. There is nothing to be found here except a few shops, a very small hotel at the road and a gas station.
Meanwhile, still keeping to their lifestyle, the Bedouins of Central Oman settle in simple camps under acacias scattered across the plains while in Hayma, they find all the necessities for everyday life.

Dhufar

Salalah

Not far away, on Nahda road, the street is filled in the early evening with the bustle of the market place as grocery stores and textile shops open again.
Prior to the 70s, Salalah was hardly larger than a village, where the market consisted only of a few wooden huts. The huts disappeared and were replaced by little houses. The variety of shops increased.
The new palace of Sultan Qaboos is near the downtown area. It was built after 1970 in place of the ramshackle fortress of his predecessors.

The coast of Salalah is covered with large plantations. Bananas, coconuts and papayas are cultivated here for the domestic market.
The remains of the old city are situated behind the plantations near the shore. Only a few ancient buildings are left. In the quarter called al-Haffa one finds still some houses with artful carved window frames, remnants of former times.

Climate

The sultanate can be divided roughly into three climatic zones:
Within the coastal area of the north, in Muscat, subtropical climate prevails. The summers are very hot with high humidity, in winter during daytime the temperature is very pleasant - around 25°C. During this season, it is also possible for heavy downpours causing sometimes dangerous floodings in the wadis in the city as well as in the mountains.

The current weather conditions

In central Oman, with its deserts and graval plains, dry climate is dominant. It can reach above 50°C in the summer months while rainfall is rare.
And finally the south, from June to September it is a tropical climate under the influence of the khareef, the south west monsoon. During monsoon swimming is forbidden. In October sunshine returns again, with daytime temperature never rising above 30°C, the seas are calm and the weather is pleasant. The best time for travelling to Salalah is after the khareef has lifted and the countryside shows off its bright green vegetation.

Nature

The predominant image of the Arabian landscape is that of the desert. The natural landscape of Oman is, however, much more varied, as are its flora and fauna, even though a shortage of water impairs all kinds of life in the country.
But when the monsoon sweeps across the coast of southern Oman in the summer

months, the landscape really starts to burgeon. Within the shortest space of time, a multitude of unique plants spring forth from the earth, which had seemed so infertile so shortly before.
However, the luscious green dries up again after only a few weeks and transforms the scenery into a bare world.

Plants

In a dry region such as Oman, plants are the one of the most valuable things nature can give to people, especially when they can contribute to survival in the hostile environment, as is the case with the date palm.
According to an old tradition, still observed today, a date palm sprig is planted for every new-born son in Oman. Since date palms live about as long as people do, they can save their owners from starving, because fifteen dates a day is enough to provide one person with the essential vitamins, minerals and other trace elements required for one day. Statistically speaking, there are four date palms to each inhabitant of Oman.
The date palm has secured the physical well-being of the country for thousands of years; the economic well-being of Oman has been guaranteed for a very long time by another tree: the olibanum tree, which grows in the South of Oman and whose resin was, in ancient times, worth its weight in gold.

The fine art of harvesting dates

Although Oman has mostly ideal climatic conditions, from Musandam in the north to Sur in the east, for date palms to grow, it does not have ideal conditions for successfully harvesting its fruits.
Flying insects, such as bees, are rare because of the extreme dryness, and so the natural fertilisation of the flowers is, economically speaking, anything but satisfactory. If a date farmer wishes to reap a rich harvest of fruit, he has to take the pollination into his own hands during the flowering period which, depending on the type of tree, is from the end of February to the beginning of April.
The harvest also depends, however, on whether the palm has been grown from a seed or a cutting. Trees that have grown from seed always display weaker growth, and their fruit is poor and very sparse. This is why, as a rule, cuttings from large, productive and strong trees, which pass their qualities on, are preferred.
There are more than 150 different types of date palm growing in Oman. However, only about 20 of these are of economic significance.

Incense, a gift from God

Olibanum trees are regarded as a gift from God. They can neither be grown nor transplanted; they only grow in particular locations that have a special soil consistency and air humidity. Their area of propagation is thus very limited. In Dhufar, where they occur most frequently, they grow especially in a belt along the northern flank of the coastal range which is not directly affected by the monsoon precipitation.
The quality of the olibanum resin depends on the humidity of the location. The best resin comes from trees in dry regions, i.e. those that are far from the coast. Their resin is yellow-white and of clear consistency.
Harvesting the resin is an art in itself. The bark is sliced off in several places with a special knife. At the beginning, only small, white drops of a sticky, milky liquid issue from the cuts; this resin is worthless and is simply scraped off after three weeks or so. Only then does the actual olibanum appear, which is gathered - especially during the hot months at the beginning of the year - every three weeks.

The harvesting period lasts a maximum of three consecutive years. After this, the tree is given several years to recover.

Animals in Oman

Who ever is travelling around Oman will quickly have the false impression that the only animals there are camels, goats and the large cowherds of Dhofar.
Many of the animals live in remote places, and some of them are even in danger of extinction. In order to prevent this, Sultan Qaboos decreed a hunting ban when he came to office and the Oryx antelopes, who had already died out in the wild, were resettled.
In order to protect the species still surviving, sanctuaries were set up, for example for the tahr.

Further more, many of Oman’s animals are only active at night; the attentive observer in the desert can, for example, discover the tracks of many beetles, scorpions and even snakes. (Although many snakes are poisonous, they are very timid and thus present practically no danger.) In addition to these, there are also Arabian Sand Hares, the Arabian Wolf, foxes and, in the mountains, even leopards. But spotting the latter is even less likely than winning the lottery.

The Arabian Oryx

The white Oryx has, in the course of evolution, adapted perfectly to its environment, as has the dromedary.
Its coat is white in the summer; even the black markings on its head and legs fade to light brown. In this way it becomes almost invisible in the glistening sunlight and the shimmering heat.
The animals can cover their need for moisture with few clumps of grass and acacia leaves. During the summer, the antelopes spend most of their time motionless under single acacia trees and only become active at night. The Oryx avoids any superfluous, fast movements as far as possible. Its normal rate of movement is walking speed, which makes it easy prey.
In 1972 the last six wild white Oryx antelopes in the whole world were traced in the centre of Oman.

Three of them were caught and sold, the other three ended up in the cooking-pot.
Two years later, Sultan Qaboos drove on the idea to renaturalise the Arabian Oryx in the place from where it was last driven out. Today the Yaluni Sanctuary for Oryx Antelopes is recognised as a unique ecosystem and has been entered on the list of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage.

The Tahr: The Phantom of the Hajar Mountains

The steep and jagged slopes of the Jebel Aswad, the "Black Mountain", are the home of one of the least known and researched and one of the most timid mammals in the world, the Arabian Tahr, which is a half-goat. The tahr, a cross between a goat and an ibex, is related to the musk-ox and the chamois.
A larger form of the tahr also lived in the oak forests of Europe, but this was between the two Ice Ages, between 100,000 and a million years ago.
The tahr is a relic of prehistoric fauna that was only able to survive in one of the remotest corners of the earth. The tahr's survival instinct leads it to flee at the slightest sound.

Only few people have ever seen it in the wild. There are assumed to be about 200 of this rare species living in the entire Hajar Mountain range.

The Mountains

In the Hajar Mountains layers of stone occur which normally lie much more deeply. A journey through this landscape thus provides an interesting view of the history of the Earth.
The Arabian Peninsula, on which Oman lies, is estimated to be some 800 million years old. Over the millions of years, the plate has drifted several times to and fro between the Antarctic and equatorial latitudes; it has been crushed, pushed up, raised and then lowered again. It has survived several Ice Ages and has been covered by great glaciers, whose traces can still be seen in many places to this day. But tropically moist periods have also left their mark in the form of immense precipitation and rich vegetation.
These conditions led to there being the most diverse types of stone to be found in Oman, from limestone from prehistoric oceans to volcanic rock. Mineral oil, the "black gold", was formed from sea sediments.

Exposed to the weather, the different layers eroded at varying speeds. The rock layers that originally lay deepest now form, due to their being the hardest, the highest mountains.
Enormous parts of the Arabian Peninsula break through the earth like huge scales; huge heaps of different coloured, softer sediments turn the landscape into a gigantic sand quarry of geological history.

The Sea

The Gulf of Oman is one of the most plentiful stretches of water for fish in the Indian Ocean and is a generous food supplier not only for the human population. Whales and dolphins are also frequently spotted here.
A walk around the many fish markets will show the variety of species in all clarity. There are sharks, swordfish, tuna fish and all kinds of smaller, colourful eating fish. King mackerel and sea perch are often served in restaurants.
The state protection of species also applies to sea creatures, especially for the various types of turtle, which come on to the beaches of Oman to lay their eggs.

Whales and Dolphins

It is often very difficult for the layman to distinguish the different types of whale, because usually only the back fin is visible and that for only a short time.
Of the round 80 known types of whale, about 20 have been sighted in the waters of Oman so far. While many of them are resident in the Indian Ocean, others only appear at certain times of the year. Those most frequently seen are the sperm-whale and the humpback whale.
. In order to see a whale, a lot of patience is required along with a boat trip out onto the sea. Only rarely is it possible to see a whale from the beach.

Dolphins, however, can be spotted more easily, especially in the south of Oman: a slow, panoramic look out onto the sea from the long coastal beaches is recommended. On the Musandam peninsula, however, they regularly accompany the fishing and excursion boats.

The Turtles of Ras al-Jins

Up to 100,000 turtles per year come to the coasts of Oman to lay their eggs. They spend the rest of their lives in the sea. Their natural life expectancy is, on average, 100 years. However, they do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 30-50 years.
An adult of the largest species to be found in Oman is over a metre long.
Sea pollution is affecting these animals particularly badly on account of this slow change of generations and poses a con- crete threat to their existence.
In order to prevent the animals from being disturbed while laying their eggs due to inappropriate tourist behaviour, the entire coastal region is under the supervision of the natural protection authority.

For even the slightest change to the coastal silhouette, due to someone standing around or even a small glint of light, is sufficient to arouse the suspicions of the females that are ready to spawn. They then turn back in the water instead of laying their eggs.

The Desert

In contrast to the vast dimensions of the Sahara and the Empty Quarter, the Rub al-Khali, the Wahibah Sands on the east coast of Oman can be taken in as a whole. These characteristics have made it a desirable object for desert researchers. In 1986 they declared it their "model desert". The comprehensive research they carried out showed that it contains almost every form of dune known; there are more than 20 types.
The northern part of the Wahibah is dominated by mighty, parallel-layered, reddish dunes that can be up to 200 metres in height, which then give way to white, sickle-shaped dunes in the southern part.
There is then, among these drifts, also a sea of petrified sand dunes. The researchers discovered sand-free areas in the midst of the Wahibah, with interesting fauna and flora.

In total, 130 species of plants and over 200 species of animals were identified, including fennec, different types of gazelle, insects, reptiles and the white-tailed mongoose.
The wildlife obtains its water either from the great prehistoric ground water reservoir in the northeast beneath the desert or the heavy morning dew carried in daily from the nearby sea.

People

The population exploded from an estimated 650,000 inhabitants in 1970 to over 1.5 million at the end of 1993. In 2003 2,538,000 people were counted, of whom 668,000 (26 per cent) were foreigners, most of them being guest workers.
If originally there were too few qualified native workers, the situation has changed radically within the last twenty years. A change to the Omani social structure, however, seems inevitable, given that over 50 per cent of the population is under 16 years old. Creating work for this large number of Omanis is one of the greatest challenges facing the government in the near future.
This development results in the successful health politics of the country. The UNO considers Oman to be a “model pupil” among nations. Nowhereelse have so many of the recommendations of the United Nationsand World Health Organization been carried out. In 2001 the WHO report on the efficiency of health systems ranked Oman at number one. In four decades child mortality had been reduced from 310 per 1,000 births to just 18. The average life expectancy in 1970 was 49.3; it is now 74.28.

Guest Workers

The building up of the modern state of Oman required the help of guest workers, just as it had with Oman’s maritime empire Now, as then, migrant workers come from Asia. The majority (59 per cent) of the over 660,000 foreigners come from India and are employed in commerce, construction and the service industries. The remainder of the army of guest workers comes from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
The conception and planning of the reconstruction, on the other hand, was firmly in European hands. Around two thirds of the over 3000 European experts in the country come from Great Britain. The well-paid experts have to give 10 per cent of their salaries towards financing the Omani education system.

Sansibaris

Bei den Sansibaris handelt es sich um die Nachfahren omanischer Auswanderer, die über mehrere Generationen in Ostafrika und auf der Insel Sansibar lebten.
Vor allem aus dem östlichen Oman verließen viele Menschen in Zeiten wirtschaftlicher Krisen das Land Richtung Afrika. Im 17. Jahrhundert eroberte die Flotte Omans zahlreiche portugiesische Besitzungen entlang der Ostküste Afrikas.
Zu Beginn des letzten Jahrhunderts verlegte der damalige Sultan, Said bin Sultan, sogar seinen Regierungssitz auf die legendäre Insel Sansibar.Aufgrund ihres Reichtums konnten sich die Omanis von Sansibar eine gute Ausbildung an den Universitäten Englands und Amerikas leisten.

Deshalb waren sie ab 1970 maßgeblich am Aufbau einer modernen Verwaltung be- teiligt.

Tribal Society in Oman

When Sultan Qaboos came to power in 1970 he became the ruler of a “living museum”. The old tribal structures were alive and powerful in Oman as no where else in Arabia. In order to establish a new state Qaboos first had to peacefully unite the tribes, put an end to ancient feuds and persuade the leaders of the individual groupings to hand over their traditional powers to the Omani state and to actively cooperate in the building up of the new country – a difficult task for a young ruler if ever there was one.
The head of the tribe is the eldest of the tribe, the sheikh. Some Omani tribes elect their chiefs. If the candidate holds himself a loof from the nomination this is taken as a sign that he isprepared to accept the election and also possesses the moral qualities necessary for the office. The good and bad qualities ofthe candidates are minutely weighed against one another in heated discussions until agreement is reached as to who is best-suited to lead the tribe. He is confirmed in his off ice as sheikh by the personal agreement of the tribal members.
The Omani society was devided for centuries into the two big fractions of Hinawi and Ghafiri. This division is eclipsed by a tension which is completely inde pendent of tribal affinity. While the people of the interior tended towards isolationism, the occupants of the coastal regions, especially the wealthy port towns, demonstrated an openness to the outside world.

The deep-rooted, highly complex conflict between the two groups can be starkly simplified as a division between the desert tribes, the Bedouin, and the city tribes, the Hadr – a conflict between settlers and nomads, rich and poor, town-dwelling confinement and the limitless freedom of the desert. These conflicts stretched well into the twentieth century, tribes often changing their positions, collapsing into tribal offshoots or forming alliances under the leadership of an Ibadi Imam against outside aggressors, whether Portuguese, Persians, Sunni caliphs, Qarmatians, Wahhabi or British.
Today alltribes are equally represented in the current government in the form of a Majlis system and Oman has become a country remarkable for being peaceable. Weapons principally have a symbolic and aesthetic value. One has the impression that after centuries of fighting the Omanis would now like to enjoy peace for at least as long.

The Sheikh

Sheikh, literally means “old man”. The sheikh shares this title with the remaining elders of the tribe, who have gained this distinction through their experience of life and through the respect that comes naturally with age. As “sheikh” can also denote any man of honour, sometimes younger people are also addressed as “old man”. As a group of tribal members of rank and honour the sheikhs make up the council or Majlis. The head of this tribal council is primus inter pares, first among equals, who draws his authority from age, respect and competence.

Hinawi and Ghafiri

Oman’s populace is made up of two groupings. In the 2 nd century AD parts of the Azdi tribe from the wadi Jawf in east Yemen under the leadership of Malik bin Faham migrated into Oman. The home of the Yemeni migrants was to be called “Oman”, named after Oman bin Ibrahim al Khalil or Oman bin Saba bin Yafthan bin Ibrahim, a descend ant of Abraham.
Later the Nizari moved into Oman from central Arabia.
In the first quarter of the 18th century the two ethnic groups polarised into the political factions of the Hinawis, named after Bani Hina of Yemen and the Ghafiris, named after Bani Ghafir of the Nizaris.

Symbole - Zeichen der Identität

Als äußere Symbole für den Aufbruch in eine neue Zeit änderte Sultan Qaboos bei seinem Amtsantritt zunächst den Landesnamen. In älteren Atlanten findet man noch die Bezeichnungen Masqat und Oman.
Sie gehen auf die Teilung zwischen weltlicher Führung durch die Sultane an der Küste (Masqat) und religiöser Führung durch die Imame im Landesinneren zurück. Darüber hinaus ließ er eine neues Wappen und eine neue Flagge entwerfen sowie eine eigene Nationalhymne komponieren.

Women

The visitor to Oman will be quick to note the successful efforts made to strengthen the position of women within society and to extend their rights. The western nightmare image of a fanatical Islam in which women have no rights, are kept hidden, or are forced to conceal themselves behind shapeless black robes, has no basis in the reality of Oman.
Women have technical occupations and are holding leading positions in administration, business and government, up to the rank of a Minister and Ambassador. Women are as established in society as men. They receive equal pay to men for the same work.
Sultan Qaboos has been a firm believer that women have as much to offer Oman as men: “Wecall upon Omani women everywhere, in the village and the cities,in both urban and bedu communities, in the hills and mountains, to roll up their sleeves and contribute to the process of economic and social development – everyone, according to their capabilities, experience, skills and their position in life.”

Handicapped

The handicapped people in Oman organised themselves in the last years and thereby they also enhanced their everyday life situation substantially.
Stores and public buildings normally show reserved parking places and are handicapped accessible planned. The staff at the airport in Muscat is prepared for the arrival of handicapped guests as well as all bigger hotels.
Handicapped Omanis are sporty very active and participate even at international competitions. Because they are pleased with new contacts they are willingly up to assist handicapped who are travelling to Oman with their planning and to let them participate in their activities.

Further information you get either at Mr. Muhtar Al Rawahy in Muscat,
phone: 24 53 53 26 (private) or
24 60 32 22 (office), or at the "Association for the Welfare of the Handicapped Children", Qurum Heights, P.O.Box 2056 CPO, phone: 00968/24 56 10 08.

Leisure

In the sultanate the many picnic places and parks strike, not only in the cities but also on the highways.
On the weekend, on public holidays or also simply after closing time during the week you like to have a break in the green. The family sits together and palavers with the whole kit and caboodle and plenty victuals.
To visit the shops in the suqs and shopping centres, to meet with friends in a coffeehouse or to play a card-game at the roadside in the evening - all are possibilities of recreational activities.
Bullfights are also popular in Oman. Indeed a compound to the spanish bullfight suggests itself but is abolutely out of place. Because in this case two animals, which are equal in size, age and weight, fight against each other.

The bulls try to push each other "out of the ring" and who makes the first move backwards has lost.
There are not any fixed dates for these fights, as well as for the Camel- or horse races .

Camel and horse races

Especially on public holidays races are organised in the all different regions of the country.
Especially in the East of the country, in the sharqiya which is popular for her horse and camel breeding, the proud owners give them a tryst. The racepist is a simple, oval sandy piste. The women and children take a seat in the interior, the exterior is surrounded by the men. A simply wooden tribune is reserved for the dignitaries.
Hawkers supply the spectators with snacks and cold drinks because always several races take place on one day. The events last from the late morning till the evening.

Religion

Of the numerous schools of Islamic belief and law, the majority of Omanis belong to Ibadiyah, a branch of the faith which is marked by its tolerance as well as holding firm to the basic tenets of Islam and though it goes back to the year 700, it could be a model for modern times.
During the controversial rule of the first Umayyad caliph Muawiyah from 683 AD, the Islamic scholar Abdullah bin Ibadh worked in Basra. He took the position that the Moslem congregation should return to the original values of the time of Mohammed and the caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. Together with the highly-respected scholar Abu Shaatha who came from near Nizwa in Oman, he developed a new Islamic doctrine, Ibadism, some hundred years before the establishment of the well-known Sunni schools of law and theology.
Ibadism, as a politically, philosophically and theologically defined branch of Islam is based on the principle that every theologically trained Muslim believer is a potential candidate for the office of Imam, the religious and administrative head with complete authority to govern. In the eyes of Ibadis the Imam is the “first among equals”, just as man is God’s creature amongst all God’s creatures.
The umma, the community of Muslims, elects from within its own ranks an educated believer, whom they think best suited for the off ice.

On the other hand, Ibadis do not require that there always be a head of the community – a major difference to the other Sunni schools of thought. If no-one is considered to be fit for the high demands of the office of Imam, then the post remains temporarily unfilled. An elected Imam who fails to live up to expectations can be voted out of office.

Of course not all Omanis are Ibadis; in the coastal regions there also live many Shi’ites and Sunnis. Although in some places highly decorated new mosques dominate the townscape, life in the country is marked by the fundamental tolerance that is the spirit of the Ibadis. In Oman you can see Muslims of various persuasions going to pray together in the mosque; fanatics have no place here.

Geschichte des Islam

Der Islam entstand als streng monotheist- ische Religion im 7. Jahrhundert n. Chr. Ihr Begründer war der Kaufmann Muhammad, der durch die ersten Offenbarungen um 610 zum Prediger wird.
Seine Verkündigungen standen in scharfem Kontrast zum sozialen Gefüge seiner Geburtsstadt Mekka und gefährdeten lebenswichtige wirtschaftliche Interessen.
Schließlich mußte er 622 nach Medina fliehen, wo er zum Organisator und politischen Führer einer ersten islamischen Ge- meinde wurde.
Er begann, Boten in benachbarte Rei- che zu senden, mit der Aufforderung an deren Herrscher, sich dem neuen Glauben anzuschließen. Einer dieser Boten, Amr ibn al-As, kam 630 nach Oman, wo er den dort herrschenden Brüdern Abad und Djaifar al-Djulandi ebenfalls einen Brief Muhammads überreichte.
Nach eingehenden Beratungen mit Stammesältesten und Rechtsgelehrten folgten sie schließlich der Aufforderung und schlossen sich der islamischen Gemeinde an.
Als Muhammad 632 starb, fielen in anderen Ländern einige Stämme und Regenten von ihrem Bekenntnis ab.

Die Omanis sind heute noch stolz darauf, dass es in ihrem Land nur eine kleine Grup- pe gab, die sich kurzzeitig einem selbster- nannten Propheten anschloss. Bei der be- waffneten Auseinandersetzung nahe der Küstenstadt Dibba wurde diese besiegt.

The Ibadis

In theology, the Ibadis reject a literal interpretation of simplistic anthropomorphic descriptions of God, denying the possibility of seeing God in this life or the after life.
According to the Ibadis the principles of the Islamic faith must always be considered in the light of changing cultural and historical circumstances. Only by doing this can Islam retain its strength and relevance.
On theone hand the Ibadis are purists of Islamic orthodoxy; on the other they are extremely progressive in their readiness to interpret the Quran in the light of the here and now. With their basic liberal position they are fundamentally democrats. They adhere strictly to the basic message of the Prophet Mohammed.

Moderation and tolerance are hall marks of Ibadi teaching. Ibadis reject any use of force as means of propagating Islamic principles. Differing opinions and interpretations must be taken into account. The shedding of blood between believers on account of theological differences is considered shameful by Ibadis. This point differentiates them fundamentally from the Kharijites (or Khawarij), an Islamic sect with whom they are often associated.

Der Koran

Das der Bibel vergleichbare heilige Buch der Muslime ist der Koran. Er enthält die von Muhammad empfangenen göttlichen Offenbarungen, die in 114 Abschnitten (Suren) weder thematisch noch zeitlich, sondern ihrer Länge nach angeordnet sind.
Einzige Ausnahme ist die erste Sure, fatiha - die Eröffnende. Zu Lebzeiten des Propheten wurden nur einige Offenbarungen auf Lederresten und Knochenstücken festgehalten.
Erst 20 Jahre nach Muhammads Tod begann der dritte Kalif (arab. Nachfolger) Othman mit einer systematischen Sammlung der aufgeschriebenen oder erinnerten Aussprüche Muhammads.
Aufgrund der daraus resultierenden Probleme (Original oder Fälschung?) dau- erte es bis zum Anfang des 20. Jahrhun- derts, bis eine von allen Muslimen akzeptierte Fassung erstellt war.

Islamic Holidays

All religious festivals and holidays follow the Islamic calendar which is lunar and made up of 354/355 days. Each year the Islamic calendar is 11 days “ahead” of the Western calendar. A lunar month has only 29 or 30 days.
The Islamic calendar started with the emigration (hejira) of the Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Yatrib Medina on the 15 th /16 thJuly in 622 AD.
To convert from hejira years to Christian Gregorian years follow this formula: take the Islamic year and subtract 1/34 th and then add 622 (beginning of the Islamic calendar).

Islamic New Year,
a festival on the 1. Muharram
(20.1.2007 / 10.1.2008 / 29.12.2008)

Mouloud, Birthday of the Prophet
a festival on the Rabial-awal
(31.3.2007 / 20.3.2008)

Leilat al-Meiraj, Ascension of the Prophet
a festival on the 27.Rajab
(10.8.2007 / 30.7.2008)

Eid al Fitr, End of Ramadan
four day festival beginning on the
1. Shewal, the end of Ramadan
(13.-16.10.2007 / 2.-5.10.2008)

Eid al Adha, Feast of the sacrifice
five day festival beginning on the
9. Dhu-l-Hiddia, traditional time of reflection and the Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) in the last month of the islamic calendar year
(20.-25.12.2007 / 9.-13.12.2008).

Ramadan
(14.9.-12.10.2007 / 3.9.-1.10.2008)
During the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan it is forbidden to eat, drink or smoke in public between the hours of sunrise and sunset. This does not apply to people who are ill or travelling, or children under the age of twelve.
During this period the whole country becomes an alcohol free zone, including the hotels and the mini bars in the hotel rooms. The hotel restaurants will not serve alcohol but are stil open during the day for hungry non-Muslims, as are many of the grocery shops. Opening times begin later in the morning.
The exact beginning of the fasting month and the holidays are subject to the local observations of the moon and are only definitively announced shortly in advance.

Mosques

Ibadis reject all forms of excess, especially in religion. Due to this “puritanism”, their mosques lack adornments and are mostly simple, bare rooms fitted in the wall facing Mecca with a prayer niche, or mihrab, which is occasionally ornately decorated. To Ibadi eyes an elaborate minaret is also unnecessary; it is sufficient to have a few steps up to the roof of the mosque, from where the adhan, or call to prayer can be made.
Islam allows believers of other monotheistic religions to visit a mosque for purposes of prayer. However, as tourists are generally more motivated by voyeurism than spirituality, their presence is not welcomed in Islamic houses of God. Spectators disturb the prayer services of believers and can even, under unhappy circumstances, render the prayers invalid; most mosques make this clear with a sign saying “for Muslims only”.

The single exception is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat which can be visited by non-Muslims on Islamic work- days (i.e., daily apart from Thursdays and Fridays) from 08:00 to 11:00.

Culture

The culture of Oman is affected by the past of the country as maritime-trade nation. There are still the traces of all culture groups to find in the sulltanate with which Oman kept in touch during its history.
The isolation policy of the father and antecessor of Sultan Qaboos had despite of all negative effects also a positive one: The culture of Oman stayed predominantly unaffected of the often also dodgy trends and fads of the Western world till 1970.

The late opening of the country enables the critical view of negative outgrowths in other countries. The already in 1976 launched administration for national heritage and culture took care that despite of the primarily high gains from the petrol trade no senseless magnificent buildings emerged, instead historical buildings had been restored and new buildings had been integrated formally in the own culture. A cultural loss of identity, due to the fast increasing wealth, could be prevented also that way after 1970.

Men's dress

Any man in Oman goes outside without a headdress.
It is composed either of a round cap, called kumma, a cashmere kerchief, the massar, or of an combination of both, whereas the massar is winded over the kumma.
The long vestment is called dishdasha and has three typical attributes: It has no front pocket, from the shroud dangles a tuft which is full of perfume, and thirdly they are not only available in white colour like in the Emirates or Saudi Arabia, but in all imaginable colours.

By the way "man" wears a drapery under this, the wizaar, which is like a pant.
Many Omanis do not don their poniard, the khanjar, only for festive occasions.The plaid in black or brown, called bisht, which seems like a coat is in contrast only for formal events and on the front it has a golden border.

Women’s dress

There are strong regional differences in colour, material and style regarding women’s dress. Mostly they wear trousers, the sirwal. It is wide and fitting at the top, at the ankles tight. There it is richly adorned with stitchery and a zipper makes it easy to get out. Above this she wears a chemise, the kandoura, which reaches to the knees. It is also adorned and goes conform with the trousers.
In the region of Dhofar this chemise, which is there made of heavy velvet, reaches to the ankles and behind it even draggles.
Regarding the kerchief, the lahaf, the variations in size, colour or pattern are almost unlimited.

Many women in the cities of Oman wear the abaya, that notorious black cape, over the gaudy clothes but the face is not veiled.
Bedouins and some women at the coast and in cities wear a mask, the burqa.

The burqa

"We do not wear the burqa because we feel ashamed to appear without it but because it is nice to appear with it."
This citation of an Omani woman makes abundantly clear that an opinion regarding the burqa becomes fast a traditional prejudice. The mask has its seeds from the inhabitants of the desert who wear it as a protection from sun and sand. They also sew these masks. Mostly the burqas are black, but sometimes they shine golden or purple.
In the "design" there are many differences. Some masks accent the woman’s view because the cuttings fit to the eyes, others again barely cover the face, if at all they enframe it.

Cooking

There is no standard Omani cuisine. The cuisine of the country has been affected by foreign products for a long time, because the sparse Omani ground did not offer a diversity of food. Especially many spices come from Asia and Africa:
Cardamom (also for tea and coffee), saffron, curcuma, cloves, cinnamon and rose water. Nevertheless there are also some country-specific plates, for example the shoowa or the halwa.

In former times the people were reliant basically on dates, limes, rice and bread, whereas the coast dwellers enriched their menu by fish.
Nowadays refrigerated trucks also supply secluded regions everyday with fresh fish and vegetable. The offer of meat is variegated: goats, chicken, lambs and even camels enrich the menu. But the latter are slaughtered only for festive events or religious holidays.
In Oman it is common, like also in other Arabic countries, to eat not with cutlery but with the right hand.

The plate shoowa

This very time-consuming plate is only cooked for very religious holidays .
A goat is flavoured, wrapped into banana leafs and bedded in a terrestrial cavity on burning char. The cavity is closed with earth.
Depending on the size of the animal the cavity is reopened after 12 to 24 hours. Then the meat is delicate and mellow.
It is served on a big tray with a lot of rice, in addition there is salade and limes. Afterwards a lot of fruit is reached and finally the obligatory coffee.

Halwa - the national dessert

In Arabic "halwa" means sweet. No surprise as the ingredients are composed of concentrated butter, caramelized sugar, almonds and farina and flavourful refined with saffron, cardamon and rose water.
In smaller towns there is here and there still a halwa-cook, but in Barka there is a big factory. It produces all kinds of grades which vary extremly in price, colour and taste.
The tough mass is cooked for many hours above a log fire in a big copper bowl.

Music and Dance

Omani music has not to be seen as classic Arabic because it has a bigger variety and has the different roots which partly go back into the pre-Islamic period.
Another fact is that music and movement are intrinsically tied with each other in Oman, more than in any other Arabic countries. There are diverse songs for any occasion, like wedding, birth or religious holidays. The farmers on the fields have their songs also like the sailors.

When there are camel or horse races, the men of a town often form them up to a semi circle, in whose middle a drummer gives the rhythm for an old war dance, the razha. The men sing along and swing their old guns and sabres.

Crafts

Many different crafts like weaving, shipbuilding or gimp disappear because their products had been replaced by modern materials and cheaper manufacturing processes.
According to this there are still only two potteries left, compared to a few years ago when many families earned their crust in this sector.
The government is keen to work against this development by doing promotion for special projects like the carving.
Thanks to tourism the silversmith craft can also survive without any big governmental help.

Weaving

Despite of the nearness to Persia no carpets had been knotted in Oman, like some guests would expect. Especially durables had been produced like saddle- clothes, bags and blankets.
The harsh goat hair which was coloured with saps had been used mostly. Today especially the men in the mountains of the Jabal Akhdar massif produce special products for the tourism.
In contrast to that women in the Wahiba desert produce coloured key rings and small carpets of wool but which are coloured meanwhile chemically.

The products of the few silk weavers are still expensive. They use silk threads which are imported from India and produce the material for the turban of the sultan or wide foulards which are worn as a belt on festive days.

Shipbuilding

Unsystematic work rarely effects good results. But at Omani shipyards ships, the so called dhows, are still timbered without a plan and a drawing. The builders even have the construction in their heads and conduct their craftsmen accordingly.
The completion lasts between three and six months depending on the size of the ship. In this process the wood which is from India imported teak is tediously worked with a hammer, a planer or a axe. Meanwhile there are circular saws or drill machines only for complexer working. By the way dhow is not an Arabic word but an European collective term.
The Omanis differ between different kinds of ships, for example one sambouq or badan. The big ocean sailors, called boom, which had a cargo capacity up to 500 t were still in transit till the seventies.

Nowadays only fishing boats are built, all other types of ships had been replaced by fibreglass.

Gimp

The lack of commodities forced the inhabitants to produce with the few existing materials all kinds of objects for the daily needs.
So all parts of a date palm had been used: the clade for the floor joists or the stems as under-floor construction. The folios are converted also today in baskets for the keeping of groceries or in big round seat mats. In former times they rolled ropes of the brins.
For milking the camels bowls are used which are worked so tight that they do not lick. This craft is not only practiced by women often also by Omani men.

Pottery

If you are seriously interested in the art of pottery then a visit to Abdullah ibn Hamdan Al Adawi and his sons is recommended. They practise their craft in a workshop in a palm garden in Bahla. From the path you can clearly see his old, traditional kilns. The unfired pots arestacked up to the ceiling in the three dome-shaped clay kilns, which are a good two metres high. The duration of the firing varies between one and six days. In the palm garden you can see the potter’s clay pits, where the clay is worked until it has reached the consistency necessary for the potter’s wheel. Numerous earthenware pots are piled up around the kilns. The are sold as multipurpose containers for dates, water and grain, and such things. Abdullah Al Adawi is an experienced old potter, with a good understanding how one can combine traditional and modern technology to marvellous effect.

He also possesses a highly modern electric kiln as well as a gas-fired kiln. With their exact temperature regulation and uncomplicated firing mechanism they give more possibilities for makingtest firings and experiments with glazing. The outcome of these experiments are then put into mass production using the large, labour-intensive clay kilns.
The master potter prefers for the future to continuing firing in the old kilns. Because of their huge capacity they are much more economical than the modern kilns.

Carving Doors and Ornaments

Omanis are very careful not to show social status through dress – everyone from humblest fisherman to government minister wears the simple dishdasha. But when it comes to headwear or the door of a man’s home, there is no such uniformity.
Omani architectureis generally simple and unadorned, without the dainty elaboration, ledges and wall reliefs found else where. This plainness emphasizes the significance of doorways and the effect of decorative work on doors.

The clear, geometrical forms stem from the traditional repertoire of Islamic motifs – stylized lotus leaves and other simple floral patterns show the inf luence of India and Persia; sumptuous bands of carved flower motifs are typical of East African countries.

Omani Silver Jewellery

Oman’s ancient tradition as a seafaring people was constantly introducing new ideas fromall over the world to the Sultanate.
Over the centuries they have managed to take design and handicraft techniques in silverwork from the most varied of cultures and melt them together to make their own new developments on a very high artistic level with world-class craftsmanship. Influences from India, Persia, East Africa and China are recognisable. The stars, leaves and petal forms of the Omani repertoire of motifs come from India and Persia. From Africa they took coloured glass beads, from Europe granulation processes, from China rattling bracelets and bells.
The emergence of Islam also extended the formal repertoire and so the palette of jewellery pieces on offer: the crescent moon, the full moon and simple geometrical forms appear on objects.

The pride and joy of an Omaniman is his khanjar, the Omani curved dagger artistically decorated in silver filigree. The khanjar is only worn for official occasions and ceremonies and is less a weapon than animportant status symbol.
An Omani woman’s jewellery is a traditional investment, serving as insurance against any financial misfortune. Because women could not be attacked during military conflicts, the silver worn by a woman was a form of life insurance for the whole family.
The precious metal came to Oman mostly in the form of Maria-Theresa-thalers. The silversmiths either melted down the coins to rework the silver or they integrated them directly into their jewellery, above all in heavy necklaces.

Architecture

The Omanis did not have a lot of building material. The coast dwellers and the inhabitants of the Wahiba desert built breezy huts made of palm leafs, barasti, for using the sea wind as cooling. In contrast the houses in the mountainous regions stood on a base made of stone for protecting them from effluent rain water. The walls were made of dried clay bricks.
Only for the massive, several metres thick walls of the forts and mosques stones had been integrated for stabilization. A mix of loam, sand and lime, sarooj, had been used as plaster. They try to keep characteristical stylistic elements of the Omani building construction in the modern architecture.

Modern Architecture

In former days many houses in Oman had been designed as little forts with towers armoured with pinnacles due to local feuds. These details in builing can be found even today at almost each modern building.
Also the old forms of the windows tapering in an arch are still typical.
One element of the Arabic architecture which had been felt prey to the modern times are the typical wall niches in the houses. They acted as replacement for a cupboard because of the lack of wood.

Modern Art

Like the art of the occident had been affected by the Christianity for a long time, the art of Arabia traditonal is affected by the Islam. This interdicts the naturalistic illustration of all impressed creatures as this would be an act of new creation of the creature - a human pretension also to possess divine power.
As a result of this attitude in Arabia a very highstanding and complex form of art script, the calligraphy, was developed. The characters are unhinged of their fixed grammatical position and positioned freely after creative aspects on the sheet and concentrated to new "type faces". The literal sense in a calligraphy is not to compass by line-by-line reading of letters but just of the general view of the sentence.

The modern calligraphy of Oman partial disengages completely of the textual declaration and works freely with the letters as abstract signs and mould parts..
Some creations also manage to combine the calligraphy with the old tradition of the binding.

History

People still do not know a lot about the early Omani history because an intensive archaeological research has been first practiced since the beginning of the 1970’s.
First finds date back in the year 10 000 BC, which are relicts of fireplaces. First traces of settlements, of which the oldest are about 7000 years old, had been found near Muscat.
Especially the graves are important for the historical research of Oman. Depending on construction, burial object and position they admit conclusions regarding early cultures and their contacts to neighbouring countries.
The most important eras of the Omani early history had been entitled after the discovering place of the different grave types.

Magan, Land of Copper

The term “Magan” (or “Makkan”) appears first around 2300 BC in the writings of King Sargon of Akkad. This Mesopotamian ruler describes ships from Dilmun, Magan and Meluhha, with their various cargoes being unloaded on the quays of Akkad. Trade with these regions clearly flourished at this time.
“Dilmun” is now the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. “Meluhha” was the Sumerian term for the Mohenjo-daro civilization of the Indus basin. The geographical location of Magan remained a puzzle.
The German Museum of Mining in Bochum set up a five-year research project, which began in 1977 proving that the historic Magan is identical with present-day Oman. In the course of the research project 150 historic copper workings were located scattered across the mountains in Oman.

These finds gave a good picture of the scale of copper extraction during the Bronze Age. Dating revealed that the peak of this production phase must have been between 2200 and 1900 BC, in other words during the Umm an-Nar period. The 10,000 tons of slag found mainly in the hinterland of Sohar indicate the production of 2000 to 4000 tons of copper. The quality of the Omani Copper was improved by repeated smelting, but because of its impurities it was known as black copper. Its composition is identical to finds in Ur, Sumer and in the Indus basin.

Omani Copper

Copper production reached its peak during the early Islamic period. Improved know-how in the area of copper working was introduced to Oman either by the Persian occupiers or via the sea routes from Persia or Azerbaijan. This transfer of technology led to a substantial stepping up of copper extraction in Oman. The quality and quantity of the copper could be greatly increased through pre-processing of the ore in roasting sheds as well as the construction of larger, more efficient smelting furnaces.
The glory days of copper production came to an abrupt end in the 10th century. The reason was probably political unrest and/or an acute shortage of fuel wood resulting from overexploitation of trees.
After an interruption of 200 years, about the time it would have taken the forests to regenerate, copper production was taken up again and has continued into modern times. However the greatage of copper was over – the demand continuously fell andother goods took over in importance.

The country’s oldest tradition was brought back to life in 1983 with the opening of an ultra-modern copper works at Lasail in northern Oman. The Oman Mining Company produces copper of 99.9% purity, mostly used in the export of certain cathodes.
In 1997 the National Mining Company, a privately-owned concern based in Muscat, was set up to explore for copper and gold in the Oman ophiolite. After extensive geological exploration they reckon on annually extracting 22,000 tons of copper and 8,000 ounces of gold. In 1995 the non-oil minerals sector accounted for 0.6% of the economy. It is believed that by 2020 it will account for 2%.

Dhofar, Land of Frankincense

In the beginning of classical antiquity frankincense extracted in Dhofar in southern Oman became the most expensive raw product in the world, as valuable as gold. It brought southern Arabia legendary wealth and the not unenviable name of Arabia Felix, or ”happy Arabia”.
In the ancient world the use of frankincense for cult purposes was extremely widespread. We know from Herodotus that in the 6th century BC more than two and a half tons of the valuable resin were burnt in the Babylonian Temple of Baal alone.
Pliny the Elder described the characteristics of good-quality frankincense and mentioned it as an antidote to hemlock poisoning. In its solid form it is taken against stomach complaints. The ethereal vapours that are given off when it is burned demonstrably relieve breathing difficulties and the resulting phenols act as a disinfectant.
Caravan routes known as Frankincense Trail were the main means of transport for the costly raisin. When the Sabaean empire collapsed in the 6th century AD and it became a province of the Sassanians, the known history of the land of frankincense came to a temporary stop.

The Frankincense Trail

Caravan routes were the main means of transport for the costly frankincense. Due to the wind conditions and threat of pirates in the Red Sea, the sea-route along the coast of Yemen and through the Red Sea presented no real alternative to land transport.
The main frankincense route began in Sumhuram, continued to Shisr, through the Yemeni Hadhramaut mountains to Marib, and then turned northwards and forked in Najran.
One route went northeast across the deserts of the Arabian peninsula to the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia, and the other followed the Red Sea via Jiddah to Petra in Jordan. From there one route led to Alexandria and the other to Mesopotamia.
Most of the caravans started out from Dhofar for Jiddah after the harvesting of the frankincense in October. 150 to 400 camels were loaded up with some 50 tons of frankincense. The domestication and breeding of camels were prerequisites for these arduous journeys across parched wastes.

Maritime Trade

Around 563 BC Cyrus the Great conquered northern Oman. Since the arrival of the Persians maritime trading had slowly developed between the northern coast of the Indian Ocean and East Africa. The exploits of the Persians, followed by the rapid conquests of Alexander the Great were to boost Oman’s mercantile fortunes. These were later adversely affected by the establishment of new trade routes between Egypt and India around 100 BC. However this was compensated for by the opening of new markets further east and south along the east coast of Africa. Indonesian traders shipped cinnamon from China and Java to Madagascar and the Zanzibar region and thence northwards to Arabia. This connection with east Africa would become of key importance in the history of Oman.
Up until 750 Damascus was the centre of Arabic culture and the Islamic empire, under the rule of the Umayyad Dynasty. From then to the 13th century it was Baghdad under the Abassids. The demand for exquisite luxury items in these centres of the empire was as great as their wealth. Many of the goods necessary to maintain a high standard of living had to be brought in from the East, above all precious woods, spices, ivory, gemstones, silver and precious metals.

This was when the Omanis came into their own. It was as if they were predestined to profit from the lucrative intermediate trade – no other people at this time were so well-situated. They already had three thousand years of experience in maritime trade, and had also learned much from the Persians. They had extensive knowledge of ship- building and navigation, which had enabled them to trade regularly with China from about 660. Omani sailors were the best of the age.
The chief Omani ports at this time were Muscat and Sohar. Muscat was the last opportunity to take on fresh water before the crossing to southern India. From the 9th century Sohar had been the richest and most important port in the Islamic world.

Portuguese Intermezzo

Up until about 1500 trade in luxury goods from east Africa and the Far East was in Arab, for the most part Omani, hands. As the Middle Ages came to a close, these expensive wares found an increasing market in Europe, where overseas merchants established themselves as a new social group. They sold goods from the east, above all spices and textiles, making enormous profits in the process.
When, with the fall of Granada in 1492, the Arabs lost their last foothold in Spain, the Portuguese took this as the signal to expand into Arab territories and to seize the lucrative trade with the east.
In 1498 Vasco da Gama succeeded in circumnavigating Africa. In Malindi, in East Africa, da Gama hired the famous Omani navigator, Ahmed Bin Majid, who showed him the route to Calicut on the Malabar Coast of India. From now on there existed a direct trade route between Europe and India.
Up until 1508 the Portuguese moved up the Omani coast in the direction of Hormuz. Although strongly impressed by the towns with their flourishing business life and magnificent gardens, they left behind a trail of destruction and death. The ports of Qalhat,Quriyat, Muscat, Sohar and finally, on the other side of the Strait, Hormuz, at that time held by Omanis, were reduced toruins. The Portuguese introduced taxes andduties and built large fortresses

By the beginning of the 17th century, Portugal’s power was past its zenith. National sovereignty had been ceded to Spain and control of trade in the East lost to England and the Netherlands.
Resistance to the weakening colonial power of Portugal also increased in Oman’s interior. In 1624 the Imam Nasir bin Murshid, the founder of the Yaruba Dynasty, succeeded in uniting more tribes into a force to be reckoned with. Because the Portuguese at this time did not want to risk any military action, they made a treaty with the Imam, in which they agreed to pay him a yearly tribute, to evacuate Sohar and to guarantee the Omanis free access to Muscat. By 1650 the Portuguese were completely driven out of Oman.

The Yaruba Dynasty

After Nasir bin Murshid‘s death his cousin Sultan bin Saif was elected Imam by popular acclaim.
Imam Saif bin Sultan forced back the Portuguese along the coast of East Africa as far as south of Cape Delgado in today’s Mozambique; Pemba, Zanzibar, Kilwa, Mombasa and Patta all came under Omani rule. Their trading activities concentrated increasingly on east Africa; the main commodities were iron for weapons from the hinterland of Mombasa and gold from Zimbabwe which was exported to India from the port of Sofala. A new golden age of Omani sea-power began,
According to European figures the Omani navy consisted in1715 of 1 ship with 74 cannons, 2 with 64 cannons, 1 with 50 cannons, 18 with from 12 to 32 cannons and a number of rowboats, each with between 4 and 8 cannons.
The tribal fightings after the death of Imam Saif II in 1718 marked the beginning of the end for the Yaruba dynasty, resulting in a return of the Persians to Oman.

The Al Bu Said Dynasty

The resistance of the governor of Sohar, Ahmed bin Said, was a reason for the Hinawis and the Ghafiris to once more join forces to fight against encroachers from outside, this time the Persians. In 1747 he defeated the Persians, became a people’s hero and was elected to be the new Imam. He thus founded the dynasty of Al Bu Said which rules to this day.
In 1752 the Imam signed a treaty with Portugal to delineate their spheres of interest in East Africa. Cape Delgado, south of Zanzibar, became the demarcation line. All areas to the north were left to the Omanis.
From 1802 Sayyed Said bin Sultan was the official ruler of Oman for 52 years. Like his predecessors since 1779, he attached no great importance to the spiritual worth of being Imam. He called himself “Sayyid” (Lord). The Europeans addressed him with the monarchical title of “Sultan”. Under Said Oman’s expansionist commercial policy reached its historic highwater mark.

In the second half of the 19th century, Oman’s commercial empire became enmeshed in a triangle of European colonial interests, technical innovations and internal intrigue. This caused an increasing influence of the British on Oman that resulted in the devision of the country into a sultanate and imamate.
The Jabal Akhdar uprising as well as the Dhofar war had been attempts of the tribes to get rid of the european influence on the Sultan. But it was not before 1970, when with reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a new era of independence began - called respectfully "Renaissance of Oman".

Sayyed Said bin Sultan and Zanzibar

Under Said Oman’s expansionist commercial policy reached its historic highwater mark.
Sultan Said’s chief concern was to secure and expand the economicinterests of Omani possessions in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf Region, southern Persia, Baluchistan and the coast of East Africa as far south as Cape Delgado and Madagascar. However he failed in his repeated attempts to bring Bahrain under his control. By marrying the daughter of the Prince of Shiraz in 1827, he secured the possessions of Hormuz, Qishm, Bandar Abbasand the Henjam islands in the Strait of Hormuz.
The East African bases had served the Omanis as depots for thousands of years. From here ships were loaded with ivory, wood, iron, gold and other wares from the interior such as slaves, a particularly lucrative line of goods. In 1828 Said for the first time visited the Omani settlements in East Africa and immediately felt at home. He moved his court from Muscat to Zanzibar so that he could personally oversee economic development in the region.
In the first half of the 19th century Zanzibar developed into an economic empire reaching deep into the interior of East Africa as far as Lake Victoria. The rise of Zanzibar was built above all on trading in cloves, slaves and ivory.

By reducing the slave trade the British were able to weaken the economic power of both the Omanis and the French, and their influence in the Indian Ocean grew steadily.
In 1848 the Sultan agreed to a general ban on slavery in return for compensation from the British. In 1856 Sultan Said died a natural death at sea when returning from Muscat and he was buried in a palace garden in Zanzibar.
For more than a hundred years Zanzibar remained the residence of the Sultan of Zanzibar and the home of many Omanis. In
January 1964 a revolution took people by surprise, and was followed by pogroms which left many Omanis dead. After only one hundred days a Zanzibar devoid of Arabs united with Tanganyika to form the state of Tanzania.

Sultanate and Imamate

In the second half of the 19th century, Oman’s commercial empire became enmeshed in a tangle of European colonial interests, technical innovations and internal intrigue. The death of Sultan Said was followed by a power struggle between his sons, Majid and Thuwaini, who had been his representatives in Zanzibar and Muscat. In 1861 the British stepped in as mediators, resulting in a treaty by which the empire was divided. The wealthy Sultanate of Zanzibar undertook to financially support the relatively poor Sultanate of Muscat. Great Britain acted as guarantor of these payments.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 was a severe blow to Oman’s position in world trade. The ports on the Gulf of Oman quickly lost importance in favour of Aden and the entry to the Red Sea. The emergence of steamships accelerated this decline as the Omanis were not in a position to develop this technology. Sail continued to play a role in trade with India, but it had become a minor one.
The sinking profits from trade led to dissatisfaction in the North with the Albusaidi sultans. As early as 1868 resistance against the Sultan of Muscat had begun to form and Salim, the grandson of Said, was driven from his royal seat. The temporal dynasty of the Sultans had for long been a thorn in the flesh of the country’s religious leaders.
Azzan bin Qais, the leader of the resistance, was elected Imam. Alongside the Sultanate there was once more an Imamate in the country.

In 1871 and again in 1877 and 1883 the British reverted to their tried and tested “gunboat diplomacy” in order to maintain an Albusaidi in power by force. Having a sultanate and an imamate alongside one another meant a split in the country between the coastal area and the interior. Heavy duties imposed by the Sultan led to the reduction of trade between the two areas of influence. English goods were free from duty. Oman had effectively become a British protectorate.
The rebellions reached a climax in 1915 when Imam Salim bin Rashid was able to unite the two tribal confederations, the Hinawis and the Ghafiris, against the Sultan. With the aid of the British the Sultan managed to retain Muscat and, as a result of the fighting, the Treaty of Seeb was signed on September 25th 1920 between the Imam, Muhammad al Khalili, the tribes of Oman and a representative of the Sultan. The Sultan’s jurisdiction was thereby limited to the coastal towns and the Imam controlled the interior, although without actual sovereignty. The treaty secured peace in Oman up to the death of the Imam in 1954.

The Jabal Akhdar uprising

In earlier times the wealth of Arabia had been guaranteed by frankincense, silk, spices and ivory – in the 20th century it could be guaranteed by energy in the form of oil. Two groups had an interest in the possible discovery of oil in Oman. The new Imam, Ghalib bin Ali, tried to establish his territories as an independent sovereign state and disputed the Sultan’s right to give exploration rights to British companies. Ghalib was backed by the Saudis, who once more occupied the Buraymi oasis in an attempt to establish their territorial rights in Oman. In 1955 the Sultan reacted by sending troops, supported by British officers, into the interior of Oman. They met with barely any resistance and Imam Ghalib bin Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. The Sultan occupied the imamate.
The offence to tribal sovereignty led to a powerful reaction. This time the disaffected groups united under Suleiman bin Himyar, Nasir al Nabhani and Talib bin Ali, the Imam’s brother. In 1958 the tribes in Jabal Akhdar rose against the Sultan. This latest attempt to rebel openly against the powerful alliance of the Sultan and the British was defeated by an attack of the British Special Air Service (SAS) regiment on Tanuf, the centre of the resistance.

The Dhofar war

The lack of backing for the Sultan amongst the people, his dependency on Great Britain, his tendency to isolationism and his outdated, inefficient army, provoked his opponents and communist groupings to attack. As early as 1962 the first armed incidents took place.
In 1965 Said’s opponents formed the Dhofar Liberation Front. They carried out small attacks in Dhofar on police stations at Thumrayt on the road to Muscat. After an assassination attempt the Sultan isolated himself even more and finally withdrew to his palace in Salalah, where he remained for the last years of his reign, protected by his Baluchi Guard.
In 1968 the communist oriented sections of the liberation front DLF also gained the upper hand in Oman and the liberation from the imperial rule of the west became the new avowed aim. The rebels subsequently received intensive support from Moscow, Peking and Iraq.
The days in which Britain could openly operate militarily in a foreign country were long gone – the British Empire was in retreat and the army could not be deployed at will to maintain the Pax Britannica. Under these conditions the Sultan could never settle the Dhofar war in his favour. The spread of the troubles to the north of the country greatly exacerbated the feeling of instability within the whole region.

It was in this situation that the liberal forces gathered around Qaboos, the son of the Sultan, who had been living under virtual house arrest in Salalah since his return from abroad. On July 23rd 1970 there was a successful palace coup. To ward off this defeat, the young Sultan immediately announced an amnesty for all Omanis fighting against him, same time promising to open up and develop the country.
The dispute had developed a new dimension with the change of power. It was no longer to do with the liberation of Oman from western imperialism but with the protection of Oman from a communist takeover.
At the beginning of 1973 Qaboos received military aid from Iran and Jordan. Step by step the guerilla fighters were forced back into the mountains of Dhofar and their sphere of action became increasingly limited. On December 2nd 1975 Qaboos received the news from John Akehurst, the commander of the British “Dhofar Brigade” that Dhofar was now a safe area and the civil development of the region could begin.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said

Qaboos is the eighth Sultan in the direct line of the Al Bu Said dynasty. He was born in 1940 on November 18th, now celebrated as Oman’s National Day, in Salalah in Dhofar, where he spent his childhood and received his early education. His love of nature and genuine concern for ecological matters has its roots in his childhood idyll in Dhofar. His beloved mother, Mazoon bint
Ahmed, was from the local fishing village Taqah. Qaboos was to maintain close ties with the people of the region. This was to prove invaluable in reuniting the country after years of civil unrest.
His early years having been spent in relative seclusion, in 1958 his father, Sultan Said bin Taimur, sent him to have his education finished in England. He first attended a private school in Suffolk and in 1960 entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. After serving six months with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, he studied administration for two years in England. Back in Salalah he followed this up with a six year study of Islam and the culture and history of Oman.

Modern Oman

In order to turn the mediaeval tribal society into a modern national state it was first necessary to overcome a century of stag- nation. Oil resources, which were already known about at this time, would provide the financial basis for this task. The first thing Qaboos did was to lift bans and cancel decrees that his father had made and which were out of date.
By allowing tribal leaders and bitter opponents of his father a place in government, Qaboos succeeded in preventing the renewal of old disputes..
The political reality is that Oman is well on the way from a Sultanate ruled by decree to becoming an independent constitutional monarchy with an Islamic democracy. The driving idea of Sultan Qaboos bin Said is always to sensibly combinethe traditional and the modern. Therefore he introduced Majlis system, geared to tribal customs, that was gradually further democratized by extending the voting franchise.
In the summer of 1994 the voting right for the MajlisAsh Shura was extended to women in the capital region of Muscatand they could also sit in this forum. For the election of October 2003 this right had been extended to all women in Oman over the age of 21.
Since November 1996 Oman also has its own constitution. Once a year Sultan Qaboos undertakes a month-long "Meet-the- People"-Tour to check himself about the progress in the country.

Unlike in almost all other countries, a portion of the rather modest oil revenues (only some 40% of the production level of Great Britain) is put aside for further development of the country.
Development has been breathtaking, especially in regard to the health service:
in 1970 there were only 100 health workers in the whole country and only one hospital clinic, run by American missionaries in Matrah. In 2002 the official statistics show 48 ultra-modern hospitals, with 17,780 health employees of which 2497 are doctors and 7007 nurses. 58% of health workers are Omanis. The average life expectancy in 1970 was 49.3; it is now73.8.
In 1970 there was only one asphalt road in the whole of Oman and that was less than10 kilometres long. In 2006 the road networkin Oman consisted of 16,000 kilometres of asphalt roads and more than 25,000 kilometres of unsurfaced roads.
Compared to the original 3 boys’ schools there are now 1187 schools of all different levels up to university.

The Majlis System

Political development is going ahead at full pace. On November 1996 the Omani Council (Majlis Oman) was established. The Council, made up of an upper chamber (Majlis al Dawla) and elected lower chamber (Majlis Ash Shura), helps with the decision processes and ensures cooperation between government and people.
The term of office in the Majlis al Dawla, the upper chamber, is four years and can be renewed. In 2003 it had 53 members of whom 5 were women. The members are nominated by the Sultan and must be at least 40 years old and Omani citizens. They may not be elected to the Majlis Ash Shura, the lower chamber, and may not hold any other public office.
The Majlis Ash Shura, the State Con- sultative Council, has the task of advising the government on affairs which affect Omani society. It is made up of 82 elected members who are independent representatives of the people in the various wilayat (regions). The term of office is four years and a member cannot be elected for a third term.

The Sultan is leader of the cabinet and appoints and dismisses the deputy prime minister, ministers and state secretaries. He is responsible for the calling of a state of emergency, general mobilization, declarations of war and ratifying inter national treaties and agreements, and the passing of new laws.

The Meet-the-People-Tour

In eastern fairy tales the Sultan is accustomed to mix with his people incognito. Qaboos has his own way of doing this: he drives through the town at night to see that everything is in order.
Once a year Qaboos undertakes a month-long “Meet The PeopleTour”, as it’s officially called. This tour covers every region in the country. He is accompanied by ministers and other decisionmakers. So that the members of the government, who normally reside in the modern city of Muscat, do not lose touch with the modest living standards of the people, the whole retinue spends the nights in Spartan military camps. Water is rationed and wood for burning is brought on the journey. Audiences are held at regular intervals. Everyone can discuss his problems, complaints and ideas face to face with the Sultan himself. The government members responsible for the individual cases are called upon and everything is settled on the spot.

Außenpolitik

Wichtig für das Land war nach 1970 vor allem auch die Aufhebung der politischen Isolation und die Beilegung der alten Grenz- streitigkeiten mit seinen Nachbarn.
Innerhalb kürzester Zeit war Oman der Arabischen Liga und den Vereinten Natio- nen beigetreten und 1981 auch treibende Kraft bei der Gründung des Golf Koopera- tions-Rates GCC.
Trotz der Mitgliedschaft in diversen in- ternationalen Organisationen betreibt das Sultanat seine Außenpolitik nach eigenen Grundsätzen. Dazu gehören vor allem die gute Nachbarschaft, Nicht-Einmischung in die inneren Angelegenheiten anderer Sta- aten, gegenseitige Achtung und friedliche Koexistenz.

So hielt Oman z.B. 1979 im Gegensatz zum Rest der arabischen Welt auch seine diplomatischen Beziehungen zu Ägypten, nach dessen Friedensschluß mit Israel, aufrecht.

Economy

The economy in Oman is based on oil. But the compound of exuberant plenty is out of place in Oman because the oil fields of Oman are much less efficient than these of the neighbouring countries.
If the output will remain constant, the instantaneous reserves will be exhausted in approx. 15 years. Additional there are the high price fluctuations. So the sultanate relies not only on the gains of the oil export but is also keen to diversify, regarding the expansion of already existing industries and the development of new economic sectors.
That includes also investments in agriculture and fishing, the development of a light industry and the tourism sector. Further measures are an increasing privatization and the tender of lucrative offers for foreign investors.

Oil and Gas

At the beginning of the century a Swiss geologist still claimed that the Arabic peninsula "justifies not the least hope for oil". But only a short time after that oil was found in Bahrain, an insular state in the Arabic Gulf, and the fight for the concessions began.
At first the claim of the Swiss geologist seemed to be right, at least in the case of Oman. But then they found oil in the North of Oman near Fahud and in the South near Marmul. In 1967 the first oil had been exported. Oman did not have an own refinery till 1982 so that till this time all oil products had to be imported.
Foreign companies distributed these products of this refinery till 1994, then Oman built an own company for the distribution: al-Maha. That meant a very tight net of petrol stations, the supply with petrol worked also at isolated places.
Huge sources of gas in the sultanate had been discovered at the beginning of the nineties. For being able to use them a big construction for liquefying gas had been built near Sur. Since 2000 Oman exports gas from there, especially to South Korea.

Agriculture

In the end of the sixties a massive migration into cities caused that the first slum districts arose around Muscat. For stopping this negative development the Omani government invested high spates in agriculture and in the fishing sector.
Thereby professions in these sectors should become attractive again and on long term a self-sufficiency of the state should be reached. Cultivated products are fruits, vegetable and dates. For being able to supply the whole country with fresh groceries the administration for the marketing of agricultural products PAMAPO had been built. It ensures solid prices and the distribution of perishable products on the markets of the country..
Biggest problem of the agriculture is the water supply. In the North of Oman the irrigation still works by an antique but efficient system of channels, the falaj system .
The most important growing areas are the Bathina coast in the North and the plantations of Salalah in the South.

Many visitors are surprised of the big cattle herds which pasture at the hillsides of the Southern Dhofar mountains. They are the most important source of income for the inhabitants there, and also status symbol. Indeed wide areas are threatened by thetotal clear grub wherefore different regions are not allowed to be used as meadows anymore.

Dates

In contrast to their European colleagues Omani sailors did not suffer from the dreaded deficiency disease scurvy - they had dates.
The consumption of only 15 dates a day satisfies the human needs of vitamins and minerals.
The stock today in Oman is estimated at approx. ten million date palms; that are about 60 per cent of the agriculturally useable area.

The date palm insured the survival of the Omani people in the last centuries due to the multi-purpose use. The tribe had been used for the building construction, baskets and mats had been made out of the leafs and the fishermen made their ropes out of the leaf-brins.

In the 19th century it was the most important product for export, and today almost 175.000 tons of all kinds are reaped every year. Dates are still a important food, to the coffee, as dessert, in the cake or as honey. Meantime they appeal new products, for example date vinegar.

The falaj-system

'The word falaj means "share" and is the name for a antique irrigation system.
Probably the Persian installed during their first occupation of Oman in the 5th century BC. The principle is simple: the ground water is grubbed at the mountain sides and then directed into the channels of to the settlements.
At the beginning the channel runs subterrestrially through craggy ground and then several kilometres to the settlement. There the water is distributed after a fixed system which guarantees that nobody feels disadvantaged.
Although the irrigation in Oman had been improved extensively by desalinations plants and the use of pumps, on the mountain water can not be passed. Therefore the government invests high contributions in the preservation and the widening of this system.
Since 2006 the faladj system is world heritage of the UNESCO..

Fisheries

Already the first inhabitants of Oman did fishing on simple boats - 7000 years ago. Nowadays this economic sector employs about 26 000 people. The fishermen get for example convenient credits for the acquisition of modern boats, outboard engines and new flues.
Over 150 kinds of fish, crustaceans and also whales make the Omani waters one of the richest in the world. Till 1970 only dried fish could be transported into the interior, refrigerated trucks and a good developed road network enable the supply of fresh fish all over the country.
Besides the support for the individual, the state also keeps an eye on the whole situation. So catching areas and catching times had been fixed in the end of the eighties because an overfishing of the waters had foreshadowed.

Omanisation

The organisation of the modern state requires highly qualified personnel. Many well-educated Omanis acted on the Sultan’s appeal and left their safe employments abroad for supporting the organisation of astate.
But the demand for doctors, engineers, teachers or officers in government and administration had been much more, and so many employes had been recruited from abroad. Meanwhile there are enough further training opportunities at the university or in practical professions in the country. For ensuring young Omanis an employment the government follows determined its policy of the Omanisation. That means that a certain percentage of employed Omanis in the industry, in the trade sector or in the service is regularised. In some sectors, like the police, just Omanis are employed.

Tourism

The tourism sector is still a relative new branch of the economy. First tourist visas were issued at the beginning of the ninties, when Oman was opened for foreign guests.
From the beginning the aim was quality instead of quantity to avoid the negative consequences of mass tourism. Due to this goal especially hotels of the higher segment had been built. The hotel capacity is kept knowingly low.
When the first guests came into the country, this was only possible in the form of guided excursions. But today the situation has changed, and also individualists can explore the country on their own.

You can find detailed information about travelling possibilities in the Sultanate of Oman in this domain in the main chapter travel information.

Why travel to Oman?

Detailed information in the travel-section !

Once upon a time there was …
Sinbad the Sailor, the Frankincense Trail and the Three Kings of Orient. Oman’s exciting and eventful past has long been general knowledge.
However, the proud people and the breathtaking landscapes behind these legends are still a well-kept secret, which is well worth discovering.
A visit to Oman will give you a first glimpse of this country, its people, its traditions and its countryside.

The Sultanate takes you by surprise with its wild, rugged mountains, deep canyons, idyllic oases and extensive plantations. Green landscapes provide a contrast to the endless expanses of sand and gravel deserts.
The 1700 kilometer long coastline is marked by the varied rhythm of white beaches and steep cliffs.
Traces of the 5000 year old tradition of maritime trade are to be found everywhere. Their impressive archaeological remains have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO: countless beehive tombs, monumental clay fortresses, myth-surrounded ports and resting places on the Frankincense Trail. Many of these remains have been preserved and have been lovingly restored and made accessible to tourists.
The Omanis’ long tradition as a seafaring people is reflected in their faces and languages. Many families lived for generations in the old trading stations in east Africa and Baluchistan, and today still speak Swahili and Urdu. Skin colour is of no importance.

Since 1970 life in the country has changed dramatically under the reign of Sultan Qaboos. Until 1970 tribal feuds were the order of the day and illiteracy and disease were rife.
Today the country provides a model for education and heath care. Women play as important a role in the state as men. They have careers in management as well as occupying posts in government.
A well developed modern infrastructure has made life easier even in the most remote regions.
The various groupings in the country are bound together by Islam which has guaranteed a cultural identity even in times of extreme change.
Islam in Oman has its own distinctive brand – Ibadism. This school of religion emerged in the year 700, and was taken up by the majority of Omanis – its essential features are democratic and marked by tolerance and peaceableness. In Oman there are Catholic and Protestant churches as well as Hindu temples.
Progress does not have to entail loss of cultural identity and humanity – this makes for an impressive experience for every visitor to the Sultanate of Oman.

Entry and exit regulations

Import and export restrictions

The import of weapons, pornography, alcohol, Israeli currency and fresh food is forbidden. Bringing in plants or flowers with roots or bulbs requires a special license. Video cassettes or DVDs may be retained by customs for censorship. Domestic pets must go into quarantine.

The export of antiques and historic culturalassets, such as old curved daggers(khanjars) and archaeological finds, as well as fossils or corals, is strictly forbidden. The current legal restrictions designed to protect national cultural assets are detailed in a list of forbidden objects which can be obtained at Seeb airport (Muscat) – please stick to these regulations and be prepared for stringent checks on leaving the country.

The customs at Seeb airport has the most up-to-date screening devices and will not damage film.

Travelling in Oman

In general
The culture of Oman lacks ostentation, arrogance and brashness. But it is just this which makes the country such a delightfull destination for a journey, giving the visitor the chance to escape the world of hectic activity and striving and to once more feel human, to appreciate the world with heightened senses.
To be in Oman is to see colours and to smell scents, to sense the horizon, to physically experience extreme contrasts, to get the feeling of losing oneself in unending landscapes.
Oman exudes inner calm, composure and an openness to what is foreign; these characteristics offer a great incentive not only to travel around Oman but also to really experience the life there.

Guided tours are an excellent way to get sustainable impressions about this country.

Day Tours

Muscat City Tour
Half Day Tour

Muscat City Tour
Day Tour

Magnificent Forts (Nizwa/Bahla/Jabrin)
Day Tour ex Muscat

Magnificent Forts (Nakhl/Rostaq)
Day Tour ex Muscat

Dolphin Watch (2Hours)
ex Muscat

On the Frankincense Trail
Day Tourex Salalah

Muscat City Tour - Half day

Your tour starts with a visit to the Fish and vegetable markets in Muttrah. Feel free to mingle with the crowd.

Visit the Muttrah Souq where you will find a mix of old and new. Sights, sounds and fragrances are in abundance.

We then drive past corniche and to the capital area before we stop in front of the Sultan’s Palace flanked by the Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani.

We visit Bait Al Zubair Museum for a fine display of Omani culture and history.


Price per car (max. 4 persons):

EUR 122,00

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- entrance fees

For reservations or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Muscat City Tour
Full day, except Thursday and Friday

The tour starts with a visit to the Grand Mosque, standing in stately grandeur. A visit to this peace of architecture is a must for all tourists. Next you will move to the Fish and vegetable markets in Muttrah. Feel free to mingle with the crowd.

Visit the Muttrah Souq with its mix of old and new, and where you will find rare sights, sounds and fragrances in abundance.

We then drive along the corniche and to the capital area before we stop in front of the Sultan’s Palace flanked by the forts, Jalali and Mirani, built by the Portuguese.

We visit Bait Al Zubair Museum with its exquisite display of Omani culture and history.

Proceed to Qantab Beach.

Stop at Bandar Al Jissah where we will visit the sea coast village of Qantab and its Oman dive center.

Price per car (max. 4 persons):

EUR 194,00


Included Services:

- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- entrance to museum

For reservations or
additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Magnificent Forts of Nizwa, Bahla and
Jabreen - Day trip ex Muscat

A journey through the past, passing through the Sumail Gap that divides the Western and Eastern Hajar Mountains, and on to the Old Capital of Oman: Nizwa, famous for its silver souq and its big, round fortress.

After visiting the souq and fort, lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, you continue to Bahla with the huge loam fort, which is currently under restoration. Bahla is also known as the pot- tery capital of Oman. Because of its cul- tural value, Bahla is placed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

The next visit is to the Jabreen fort, where you will find one of the most magnificnet forts of Oman, with its painted ceilings, dungeons, and hidden passageways.

Return to Muscat in the evening.


Price per car (max. 4 persons):

EUR 230,00

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- entrance fees

For reservations or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Magnificent Forts of Nakhl and Rustaq
Day tripex Muscat

Early morning departure from your hotel, with first stop at Barka, a seaside town with small souqs and historic fort along the shoreline.

Continuing on, as you approach Nakhl, keep an eye out for the fortress that sits on a hillock outside the town. The fort’s origin is pre-Islamic with major architectural additions by the Al Yaruba and the Al Bu Sayed dynasties. Visiting the fort is included.

Upon reaching Nakhl, visit the mineral laden hot springs, with picnic lunch in the shade under the palms.

Continue on to Rustaq to visit the magnificent fort there, also dating back to pre-Islamic times.

You will return to Muscat in the evening.


Price per car (max. 4 persons):

EUR 230,00

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- entrance fees

For reservations or
additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Dolphin Watch - 2 Hours ex Muscat

We will pick you up from your hotel at 7 am.

A dream come true; step aboard to explore the hidden treasures of Oman’s magic coastline.
A 2 hour cruise will give you a fascinating experience and it is rare to miss the chance of observing the swimming dolphins.
A dolphin in flight is a wonderful sight that thrills on lookers.

Soft drinks and light breakfast on board.

Price per person:

EUR 55,00 (minimum 2 persons)

Included Services:
- soft drinks
- light breakfast

For reservations
or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Salalah - Samharam - Jabal Qara
Full Day ex Salalah

In the morning we visit the harbour Taqa and its unique fort.

Then we drive to the ruins of the ancient frankincense harbour of Samharam, which is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

We come to the mountains of the Jabal Qara where we gain insight into the life and culture of the Jabali mountain nomads.

Next we will see how incense resin is gathered prepared as frankincense.

In the evening return to Salalah.


Price per car (max. 4 persons):

EUR 330,00

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- entrance fees

For reservations or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Overnight trips ex Muscat

Wahibah Sands
Experience the natural wonder
of the Wahiba desert

Jabal Akhdar
The fantastic mountainside
of Oman

Jabal Shams
Picturesque mountain oases
and stunning canyons

Wahibah Sands - 2 day tour ex Muscat

Day 1:
From Muscat, travel to Fanjah and through the Sumail Gap. Stopover to observe village life in Sumail. Continue on to Rawdah and the pit weavers of al Akhdar.
Picnic lunch served in the shades of plantations. After lunch we reach the undulating sands of Wahibah.
Indulge in a bit of dune bashing. Camel rides are optional. Enjoy a sumptuous BBQ and sleep under the stars or in barasti huts.

Day 2:
Depart next day morning after breakfast for Wadi Bani Khalid with its water pools. Picnic lunch or local restaurant.
Return to Muscat late afternoon.

Price per person:
EUR 345 per person (2 persons per car)
EUR 220 per person (4 persons per car)

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- soft drinks and water during the tour
- 1 night Nomadic Desert Camp
(barasti huts )with BBQ and breakfast

For reservations or additional information:
e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Jabal Akhdar - 2 day tour ex Muscat

Day 1:
Leave Muscat at 9 am and drive through the Sumail Gap and Izki by 4 WD. After Izki we drive up to the roof of Oman, the Saiq Plateau, which for hundreds of years has been accessible only on donkeys paths.
The use of terraces on extremely steep mountain slopes is particularly impressive.
Feel the change in climate on top of the mountain. Picnic lunch or lunch at local restaurant. walk through the ‘hanging gardens’ along the falaj will be a lasting memory. Dinner and overnight at Jabal Akhdar Hotel.

Day 2:
After breakfast we stroll around to see some beautiful sights. Later, return to Muscat.

Price per person:
EUR 340 per person (2 persons per car)
EUR 238 per person (4 persons per car)

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- permit to Jabal Akhdar
- soft drinks and water during the tour
- 1 night Jabal Akhdar Hotel with
dinner and breakfast

For reservations
or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Jabal Shams - 2 day tour ex Muscat

Day 1:
From Muscat travel to the interior via Fanjah, Izki, Nizwa by 4WD. Stop at Nizwa for a stroll through the Old Capital and continuing on to Al Hamra. Visit the old village of Ghul to see the abandoned Persian ruins. Travel up the Canyon near the Summit of Jebel Shams Feel the change in climate. Picnic lunch near the canyon.
Visit with local weavers and haggle for their wares. Overnight and dinner in bungalows.

Day 2:
Following day after breakfast we walk along the trekking pass into the canyon to an abandoned village where in former days about 19 families were living. Above the vil- lage there is a small lake hidden in the canyon wall. Picnic lunch in the canyon.
On our way back we will stop at Misfat to see a picturesque village strapped on to the side of a mountain.

Price per person:
EUR 360 per person (2 persons per car)
EUR 238 per person (4 persons per car)

Included Services:
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- soft drinks and water during the tour
- 1 night Jabal Shams Bungalows
with dinner and breakfast

For reservations
or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

3 and 4 Day Tours

Camels and Turtles - 3 day tour ex Muscat

Day 1:
From Muscat we drive to Fanjah and further on through the Sumail Gap. Stopover to ob- serve the village life in Rawdah and visiting the weavers of Al Akdar.
See the ruins of the old mercantile commu- nity of Al Mansfah near Ibra.
Proceed to Wahiba, the undulating golden sands. Dune bashing and short camel riding.
Overnight at Desert camp.

Day 2:
Set off your journey to the enchanting Wadi Bani Khalid. Drive past the village with its endless date plantations before reaching at the magnificent Wadi. The Pools are deep and absolutely stunning.
We move along the Coast via Bilad Bani Bu Ali and Bilad Bani Bu Hassan and will reach Turtle Beach Resort at Ras al Hadd in the late afternoon. After a sumptuous dinner, we go to the beach to observe the nesting habits of the green turtles. Overnight at Turtle Beach Resort.

Day 3:
The next morning we drive to Sur and will visit the dhow yard where we see dhows being built in the same way they have been made for generations.
We continue our journey via the coast stopping at Qalhat to see Bibi Miriam Tomb, the only building left standing after the town was razed by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Later on we pass through some magnificent wadis and sights with mountain on one side and Gulf of Oman on the other and reach Fins beach.
We also stop at Bimah Sinkhole a geological formation and a scenic wonder, before returning to Muscat.

Price per person:

EUR 634 per person in double room
(2 persons per car)

EUR 422 per person in double room
(4 persons per car)

Included Services:

- 1 night Nomadic Desert Camp (barasti hut)
- 1 night Turtle Beach Resort (barasti hut)
- full-board (all meals) during the tour
- soft drinks and water during the tour
- English speaking driver/guide
- half hour camel ride
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
.

For reservations or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Magical Southern Oman - 3 day tour ex Salalah

Day 1: Salalah-Rub al Khali
Departing Salalah after breakfast, we drive with a bedoine guide to the mountains in the back-country of Salalah. Here live the Jabali, a mountain tribe which speaks its own language of which no written form exists. On the northern edge of the moun- tains we find the frankincense trees which are surrounded by bizarre canyons. The resin of these trees was as precious as gold in antiquity. That is why this region is also called "Arabia Felix", meaning happy or lucky Arabia. Some tribal members will share the history and mysteries of this pre- cious harvest. We continue to the oasis Shisr on the edge of the desert Rub al Khali, the infamous and forbidding "Empty Quar- ter". Dinner under the stars and over- night in tents among the dunes.

Day 2: Rub al Khali-Dalkut
Rising at dawn we will have an unforgettable breakfast in the early morning light of the desert. Enjoy the silence of this, the biggest sandy desert in the world, with the golden waves of dunes reaching the horizon. The deeper you enter into this countryside the more you will be removed from bustling everyday life. In the afternoon we will travel along the frontier to Yemen till we reach the coast of the Indian Ocean at Dalkut, Here we spend the night in our tents, on the beach.

Day 3: Dalkut-Salalah
After a refreshing bath in the sea our route continues in a northerly direction along the coast. This mountainous area bordering Yemen is covered with many trees and bushes and is an impressive contrast to the desert. The smooth stone and bedrock is ex- tremely eroded and has been sculpted into bizarre forms. There are heavy monsoon rains along the coast in the summer and this creates a very special microclimate for plants. Driving over a stunning pass, we reach the picturesque beach of Mugsayl. If there are strong tidal surges, columns of water will shoot high into the sky between the washed out rock terraces. Arrival in Salalah in the evening.

Price per person:
EUR 596 per person in double room
(2 persons per car)
EUR 348 per person in double room
(4 persons per car)

Included Services:
- full-board (all meals) during the tour
- soft drinks and water during the tour
- English speaking driver/guide
- transport in modern 4 wheel drive with A/C
- overnight in tent incl. camping equippment

For reservations or additional information:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Fly & Drive

During the past couple of years more and more people are visiting Oman, and as it is "discovered" and the good word spreads, this trend will continue. As a result Oman is expanding its tourist infrastructure, since many hotels are operating at or near total capacity, especially in the main season, from October to April. We therefore strongly recommend that you make your travel arrangements far in advance.

We offer you the unique opportunity to have a customized itinerary developed specifically for you, based on your personal interests, wishes and budget, based on the expertise of the renowned Oman expert and travel guide author Georg Popp.

We will take care of your flights, car and hotel reservations, as well as arrange local guides as desired, and assure you a pleasant visit to Oman.

Tell us your ideas and dreams about your trip to Oman and we will do our best to make them come true.

Just write to:

sales@oman-tours.com

ARABIA FELIX Synform GmbH
Treffauerstr. 18
81373 München
Tel.: 089 / 30 77 92 00
Fax: 089 / 300 28 41
info@oman.de

A land easy to travel around
The excellent system of roads and hotels allows the modern traveller to explore the various regions of Oman safely and without difficulty. Road signs are almost always in two languages: Arabic and English. Places of touristic and cultural interest are clearly indicated by brown signs.

Omanis are very friendly in their manner and are very open and receptive to the few tourists who visit their country. They will often greet the visitor with a raised open hand, the ancient sign of peaceful intent (i.e. showing that they are not holding a weapon). They expect a similar greeting or gesture in response -- a first, and important, step in approaching the culture of which one is a guest. Refusing a greeting is understood as a deliberate act of rejection and is taken as a personal insult.

If you are travelling to the country’s interior, please be sure not to wear clothing offensive to Muslims, to photograph people only after obtaining their permission, to not leave litter anywhere and above all to do nothing that could pollute any of the water distribution channels. In Oman water is scarce and therefore precious as it is the source of all life. It is used for irrigating fields, of course for drinking and cooking, washing and bathing, and for ritual cleansing before prayer.

If you are tactful in your curiosity, and encounter this many-faceted culture with sensibility and respect, then this Islamic land, like many others, will be an experience you will prize and cherish.

Flight Options

Many European airlines and most airlines of the Gulf region fly to Oman, in particular to the capital, Muscat.

NEW: starting in October 2009 OMAN AIR will be the only carrier flying non-stop from Frankfurt and Munich to Oman. The flight takes approx. 6-1/2 hours.

Otherwise a flight from Western Europe to Oman on the most direct routes will generally take seven or eight hours. You will generally have to change planes at least once, usually at the hub of the respective airlines (e.g. British Airways via London, KLM via Amsterdam, Emirates Airlines via Dubai, Etihad via Abu Dhabi, etc.)

.

We are happy to provide you flight offers for your consideration (no obligation!).

In order to provide valid options with guaranteed prices we request the following information:

Hotels in Musandam

The Musandam Peninsula is separated from the rest of the national territory of the Sultanate by the United Arab Emirates



Photo Gallery Musandam

The regional capital Khasab is connected with Dubai by a recently completed good paved road along the Arabian Gulf.

To best discover the beauties of Musandam you are advised to swap your car for a dhow boat and then cruise through various branches of the fjord-landscape.

Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay*****

Golden Tulip Khasab****

Khasab Hotel***

Hotels in the western Hajar mountains

Terraced fields lining the mountain bluffs, deep canyons and gorges, idyllic mountain villages, imposing forts and palaces - the region of Jabal Akhdar guarded the cultural heritage of Oman for centuries.

The people here were safe from attacks, the flanks of the 3000 metres high Hajar mountains formed an insurmountable natural bastion.

Whoever wants to assault it today will follow well-worn trekking paths to stunning viewpoints in a dizzying altitude!

´
Falaj Dariz Hotel**** Nizwa

Golden Tulip Hotel**** Nizwa

Al Diyar Hotel** Nizwa

Sahab Hotel**** Jabal Akhdar


Jabal Akhdar Hotel***

Jabal Shems Bungalows

Hotels and camps in the Sharqiyah

Sur Plaza Hotel****

Sur Beach Hotel***

Sharqiyah Sands Hotel*** Ibra

Nomadic Desert Camp

Desert Nights Camp****

Turtle Beach Resort

Al Ashkharah Yoth Hotel***

Hotels in the capital region

You find the biggest assortment of hotels in the capital. The standards reach from the famous luxury hotel with its own private beach to the simple hotel at the harbour in Matrah.

Most of the nightlife of the city also takes place in the big international hotels. The bars and discotheques are not only frequented by the hotel guests, but also by the locals. In the restaurants of the hotels theme nights bring the culinary variety.

Al Bustan Palace Hotel*****


Shangri La*****


The Chedi Muscat*****


Intercontinental Muscat*****


Crowne Plaza Hotel****


Muscat Holiday Hotel****


Treasurebox Hotel***

Hotels in the centre of Oman

Al Ghaba Resthouse

Hayma Hotel

Al Ghaftain Resthouse

Quitbit Resthouse

Hotels at the Batinah coast

The Batinah coast with its palm groves and long beaches is becoming ever more developed for tourism.

Here are some of the most beautiful forts in the region. And its closeness to the capital, Muscat, makes it possible to make a day trip as a break from the beach life.

The islands off the coast are uninhabitated and are nature conservation areas. Some of these are ideal areas for diving.

Hotels in the region of Dhofar

The region of Dhofar is ideal for a beach holiday from October through April. On the long sandy beaches you can take extensive walks under the pleasant warm sun. Or you can make excursions and daytrips in the nearby desert.

Among the palm groves there are small stands with fresh bananas, coconuts and papayas -- and this is all only a one-hour flight from Muscat.

Car Hire

It is impossible to explore Oman without a car. Visitors to Oman will spend a good deal of time driving. Driving is on the right hand side. Road signs along the main roads are in Arabic and English, and the traffic signs and regulations are the same as those in Europe.
On presentation of an international driving license you can rent a car with no problem. Women behind the wheel are normal in Oman, something which would be quite unthinkable in Saudi Arabia.
Since 1996 seat belts must be worn in the rear as well as the front seats.
In the capital it is forbidden to drive very dirty vehicles. If you do you may be faced with an instant fine from the police.


The speed limit is generally 120 kilometres per hour. This also holds for the motorwaylike major routes. Within built-up areas and wadi areas the limit is 40 kilometres per hour everywhere. The Omani police have the latest radar equipment, which is continually in use. Breaking a speed limit can be very expensive.

Sightseeing

The culture of Oman lacks all grandeur, arrogance or brashness. But it is just this which makes the country such an unusual destination for a journey, giving the visitor the chance to escapethe world of hectic activity and striving and to once more feelhuman, to appreciate the world with sharpened senses. To be in Oman is to see colours and to smell scents, to sense the horizon, to physically experience extreme contrasts, to get the feeling oflosing oneself in unending landscapes.
Oman exudes inner calm, composure and an openness to what is foreign; these characteristics offer a great incentive not only to travel around unknown Oman but also to really experience the life there.
Travelling in Oman you should always be prepared for the unexpected. If you go through the land with your senses alert, not constrained by the corset of a too-rigid itinerary, but allowing yourself the leisure to encounter the small, apparently trivial things in daily life, then the country will make its own unforgettable impression on you.
The following pages give you a glimpse of what to be seen in the country.

Our first choice sight in Oman is the
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
in Muscat.

The "Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque"

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is today one of the most important monuments in the country. Building began in the spring of
1995 and the building was officially opened on May 4 th 2001.
The main entrance is to the South and leads through three tall arches to the main minaret. The perspective, when looking through the arches, following a line of dark marble set in the ground, has the optical effect of making the minaret seem even higher than its 91.5 metres. The remaining four minarets, each with a height of 45 metres, complete the symmetry at the four corners of the rectangular complex.
Non-Muslims are only allowed into the main prayer building to the left of the atrium and some of the foyers. Please ensure you pay attention to the notice boards and only enter the mosque with covered armsand legs. Women must wear headscarves.
The main prayer hall is entered through a square atrium at the foot of the main minaret. Before entering shoes should be removed and placed on the racks provided at the side of the entrance. Passing through an immense wooden portal, you come into what must be the most aesthetically impressive room in Oman. The hall, 61 by 71 metres, can hold 6000 believers at prayer.
The floor is covered in a carpet which is 4,263 square metres in size, a master- piece of Persian carpet weaving, both a logistic and an artistic triumph.

The precious carpet has its optical counter-part in the wooden ceiling, decorated lavishly with calligraphic designs and arabesques. The room is crowned by a 34 metre high dome, the splendour and elegance of which is unsurpassable. In the centre hangs a chandelier made of Swarowsky crystal, its 1,122 lamps lending the dome a magical aura..
The pillars and walls of the hall are in plain white and grey marble, making a discreet setting for the splendour of the stained glass windows and the prayer niches, or mihrabs, with their painted tiles.
Apart from the prayer hall it’s worth taking a stroll along the covered walkways. These have niches explaining the various stylistic motifs drawn from the whole Arab world. You can also marvel at the richly ornamented designs of the exterior walls of the various buildings.

Opening times:
Saturday to Wednesday Mornings,
from 08:00 to 11:00

Forts

With the decline in power and the intro- duction of new military strategies and weapons in the 20 th century, the forts lost importance, fell into disrepair and. had become ruins.
The substance of many of the estimated 800 fortresses having been extensively washed away. Restoring these old buildings is expensive in terms of both time and money and has had to be restricted to the most historical or imposing sites in the country. The results of these efforts, especially with regard to the almost completely destroyed inner décor, should be seen more as replicas of the original fortresses - new buildings imitating the old style.
The most impressive restored forts are those of Nizwa, Rostaq, Barka, Taqah, al-Hazm, Jabreen and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bahla.

The fortress of al-Hazm

This fortress grows like an oversized rock out of the small oasis, 17 km from Ar Rostaq. The stronghold was built as a residence in 1708 by Imam Sultan ibn Saif II, who also transferred his seat of government here.
Its construction apparently consumed all of his paternal inheritance, and was completed using generous loans from the mosque’s assets. Several secret passages provided escape routes from the fortress, the interior of which rather merits the description palace.
The large main gates are covered with carved arabesques and the interior doors, too, are decorated with carvings. The rooms are adorned with the most varied of stuccowork, but until recently they had a somewhat sad appearance.
Particularly impressive is the still fully intact water supply system of the individual parts of the fortress. For example, on the first floor there is a large basin filled with water for tackling an outbreak of fire.
The fort is under ungoing renovation but is expected to be reopened to public by end of 2007.

The palace of Jabreen

Imam Bilarab’s 17 th century residence has been completely restored and is now one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.
The fortress-like exterior character of the complex is misleading: the design of the interiors clearly shows the building to have been intended as a palace. The high rooms are fitted with narrow niches which reach from the floor to just under the ceilings. They are topped with Moorish arches richly decorated with stuccowork, and which also serve as the rooms’ main windows. On the outside the windows are screened by decoratively carved stone latticework, which protects against too much sun and lends the rooms a pleasing subdued light. The design of the lattice work shows Persian influence, as does the harmonious spatial arrangements.
The ceilings of nearly all the rooms are painted, and are considered to be the most exquisite examples of such work in the country, a claim which, when you are faced with this splendour, seems not to be exaggerated. The numerous precisely and lovingly worked details make Jabreen a jewel in the crown of Omani architecture.

Bahla – a town and monument of clay

In the region around the Bahla oasis there are large deposits of clay. It is striking that this important raw material has always been superabundant here. In contrast to the other oasis towns of Oman, in Bahla not only the settlement itself is protected by high clay walls, but also the whole area of the oasis in the wadi. A fortified wall, up to five metres high and over ten kilometres in length, with numerous watchtowers built in, surrounds the extensive date gardens and fields, and winds through the mountains at the edge of the wadi and the depths of the river bed. At the eastern end of the oasis the ruins of the Hisn Tamah fort, another masterpiece of clay architecture.
The origins of Bahla stretch back into history. The first fort was probably built on the height in the pre-Islamic era. When exactly it was founded by the Bahila tribe is not known. In 1406 Bahla was ruled by Imam Makhzum ibn Al Fallah and was the capital of Oman and the seat of the ruling Nabhani dynasty.
This fortress is certainly not only the largest example of the art of building in clay in Oman, but in its own way one of the most impressive. Bahla Fort has been inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1987.

The restoration work will undoubtedly take many more years. As long as the work continues, the inside of the ruins will not be open to visitors.

Archaeological Sites

From the archaeological point of view, the Sultanate of Oman belongs to the least known countries of the Arab world.
Archaeological research on a scale worthy of the name first began in 1970 with the opening up of Oman. The modern frontiers in the East of the Arabian peninsula resulted from European colonial politics and only roughly corresponds to the earlier territories and spheres of influence of the individual tribes and peoples.
Archaeology differentiates between north-west, central and south Oman. The first includes the United Arab Emirates, the second, the central and northern parts of the Sultanate and the last, the southern province of Dhofar.
Perhaps the most interesting archaeological site in the Sultanate, Bat, is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Other sites that entered into UNESCO’s World Heritage List are the ancient ports of Samaramm and al-Baleed, as well as the oasis of Shisr (Ubar) . They all are related to the ancient frankincense trade routes.

The Necropolis of Bat

In the Seventies a team of Danish archaeologists discovered, north of Bat, a settlement with a necropolis, a highly important find. It turned out to be the largest known site from the Umm an Nar period in Oman (2500 - 1800 v. Chr.) and, together with the beehive tombs, it has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The thousands of beehive tombs scattered over the mountainsare further important witnesses to this period. They form the largest known necropolis from this time. The most impressive collection of relatively well-preserved beehive tombs are in the neighbourhood of Al Ain some 23 kilometres beyond Bat. 21 of these tomb constructions are strung like pearls over the mountain range before the impressive backdrop of the Jabal al Misht.

The ancient frankincense port Sumhuram

Up until the 1 st century AD the transport of frankincense had been the domain of the camel caravans. As a result of improved navigation tech niques, the trade routes became increasingly maritime, via the Red Sea.
At that time Dhofar was part of the Yemeni kingdom of Hadramaut. The King recognised the importance of having a safe storage place and a port for the export of frankincense in the vicinity of where the frankincense was harvested, and in the 2 nd century AD he ordered the building of Sumhuram, close to today Taqah.
Two and a half metre thick fortified walls, made from carefully cut blocks of stone, surrounded the town. The carefully built wall still stands to a height of a good two metres. Storehouses for the resin were in the south-eastern part of the site, with a row of rectangular pillars in the middle and in the Southwest there was a large, deep well. In the North, a temple, up to five metres high, abutted the outer wall. According to the inscriptions in the stone tablets embedded in the wall, the temple was dedicated to the lunar god Sin.

The ancient port of al-Baleed

In the last 150 years the new town of Salalah has grown out of the stones of the remains of the ancient Middle Age settlement al-Baleed (from al Balad, meaning ‘town’), a spit of land in the lagoon at the eastern end of the beach at Salalah.
Behind a large steel fence, heaps of rubble as high as a house can be seen scattered around a large area. From the road you pass through a gate and find yourself in the grounds of what is being developed into a large archaeological park. The remains of the historic port will be exposed during several phases of excavation over the next few years. For a small fee the grounds are already open to interested visitors.
The former centre of ‘Dhofar’, as the port was called, used to be surrounded by a trench and a defensive wall with gates in the west, south and east sides. At the western end of the site you can clearly make out the remains of the large court mosque.

Originally there were 148 pillars, which were laid in rows of four, surrounding an inner courtyard.
The excavation works have beencarried out by a German archaeological team who also developed the educational concept of the archaeological park. Additional to the ruins, there is a new museum built on the site, exosing historic artefacts fromn all over Oman.

Ubar - Atlantis of the Desert

The various historical descriptions of the wealth of Ubar - or Irem, (the City of Pillars), as itis called in the 89th Sura of the Quran – in which the town is described as the image of paradise were so mystically excessive that for a long time there was serious doubt that it really was anything other than alegend.
In 1981, looking at satellite images of southern Oman, American hobby archaeologists had already noticed ancient caravan routes in the desert which had been covered over with sand in the course of millennia.
First excavations of a watering place near the main intersection of all the old routes, 200 kilometres northwest of Sumhuram at Shisron the edge of the Empty Quarter, seem to quickly confirm the truth of the legend.
Further excavations however, soon demonstrated that Ubar had to return to the realm of legend. A historically important resting place had been found, but it had definitely not been a town. The area was simply too small.

The variety of artefacts from around 2000 BC which were brought to light bore witness, however, to ancient trade routes. The ceramics which were found came from Syria, Rome, Greeceand even China. Finds of stone tools showed that the spot hadalready been settled from 5000 BC onwards.

Museums

Most of the country’s museums are spread about the Capital Area of Muscat and are indicated by green signs. The museum landscape of Oman is very much in the early stages of development. The didactic preparation of historical remains and its own culture is in its infancy.
One traveller to Oman who was very interested in culture, remarked not entirely seriously that visits to museums in Oman were to be recommended for very rainy days. However even on the sunniest of days it is worth making a visit to the Bait Al Zubair Museum, the Muscat Gate Museum, the Oman Museum, the PDO Exhibition Hall and the Children’s Museum.

Bait Al Zubair Museum, Muscat, situated outside the city wall, in front of the Bab al Kabir gate to the South.
Easily the most professional museum in the country. The well worth seeing private collection of the ancient Zubair merchant family includes historical photographs, documents, jewellery, everyday objects and a valuable collection of old khanjars. Alongside this you can see traditional handicrafts and gain an insight into the earlier way of life of people in the country.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Thursday
9-13 o’clock and 16-19 o’clock

Children’s Museum (Science Museum), Al Sarooj, located in two low, white domed buildings directly next to the Sultan Qaboos Road.
Approaching from the direction of Ruwi or Mutrah, pass the exit for the “Muscat Intercontinental”, and then right. A modern educational museum in which children are brought closer to modern technology through experiments in a hands on manner.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Thursday 8-14 o’clock and
Monday 16-20 o’clock

Muscat Gate Museum, Muscat, in the first floor of the new city gate over the coastal road from Mutrah to Muscat.
The history of the town of Muscat, as well as the geology of the region presented on very informative display boards and with a 20 minute film presentation.
Opening hours :
Saturday to Thursday
9.30-13 o’clock and 16-19 o’clock


Oman Museum, in Madinat al Alam, Can be reached by car taking the exit at the Qurm roundabout in the direction of Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. It is situated next to the Ministry of Information on the hill to the right of the road. The first steep turn off on the right hand side after the petrol station is the best access to the museum. The sign for the turn-off is on the opposite left hand side of the road.
The museum houses an informative historical collection. It gives a good overview over the history, trade and the handicrafts of Oman. Succinct texts, interesting exhibits and photos.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Wednesday 8.30-14 o’clock

The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum (Military history Museum), Ruwi, in Bait al Falaj, former garrison and royal residence. Coming from Qurm to be reached by taking the last exit on the right from the Mutttrah roundabout.
Collection of historic weapons and uniforms; documentation about the Imamate uprising and the Dhofar War. As in all military establishments it is forbidden to take photographs here.
Opening hours:
only Saturday and Wednesday 8.30-12.30 o’clock

Natural History Museum, al Khuwayr, in the building of the Ministery of National Heritage and Culture. At the Al Khuwayr roundabout go in the direction “Shatti Al Qurm“ and follow the sign “Ministries”.
Overview over the geology, animal and plant worlds as well as the landscapes of Oman; many specimens, partly in dioramas; interesting new section on whales and dolphins.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Thursday 8-14 o’clock and
Friday and Sunday 16-19 o’clock

PDO Exhibition Hall, to the right near the main gate of the PDO (Petroleum Development Oman Ltd.). Go in the direction of Qurm from the Qurm roundabout, under the Qurm Heights Road and take the first road on the right (Seih Al Maleh Street). There are no signs! This road leads directly to the main gate of the PDO. The museum is located on ther right hand to the gate.
The history of oil production in the Sultanate of Oman and its technical processes are explained by means of multimedia displays.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Wednesday
7-12 o’clock and 13-15.45 o’clock
closed during Ramadan

In the meanwhile restored Sohar Fort a museum dedicated to Oman’s lively maritime history has been established.
Opening hours:
Saturday to Wednesday 8-14 o’clock and
public holidays 8-12 o’clock, 14-18 o’clock

Feedback

- Claudia Pluess
selfdrive tour, March 2007

- Alfred Seeger
selfdrive tour, December 2006

- Dr. Muriel Asseburg
guided tour, December 2005

- Gerhard Perlot
beach holiday, October 2005

Golden Tulip Khasab****

The following types of sport and recreation are available: fitness room, table tennis (gratis), and for a fee, diving school and snorkeling. The hotel is located just outside the town, has a sandy beach nearby and is only 10 minutes away from the airport in Khasab. The flight from Muscat to Khasab takes about 45 minutes. The distance between Dubai and Khasab is approx. 170 kilometres if you travel by car

Price valid from 01.06.09 till 15.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 136.- 

Price valid from 16.09.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 31.08.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 154.-

Please contact us for your personalized
special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Nizwa Golden Tulip Hotel****

The Nizwa Golden Tulip Hotel is the best accommodation in the interior of northern Oman. It is located about 15 kilometers fom Nizwa. In 1994 it was the residence for the royal family during national ceremonies. The exalted middle class hotel with main building and room wings has a restaurant with international and arabic cuisine. 2 bars and the nightclub offer entertainment in the evening.

Further amenities are the swimmingpool and a shop where you can buy souvenirs.

The altogether 120 rooms with exalted furnishing dispose of TV, telephone, minibar, air condition and a terrace or balcony with view at the pool or the garden.

Price valid from 01.01.09 till 31.12.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 178.-

Price valid from 01.01.10 till 31.12.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 224.-

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Al Diyar Hotel**

The Al Diyar Hotel is located only a few miles from the town center (about 3 kilo- metres) and is a cheap alternative to Falaj Dariz and Nizwa Hotel.

The hotel is simple and clean with 50 rooms, a pool and a restaurant.

Each of the 50 rooms is equipped with bath or shower, toilet, fridge and TV.

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 69.- 

Please contact us for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Djebel Shems Bungalows

The simple and clean resort disposes of six small beautiful bungalows (for two persons each). These are situated close to the Jabal Shams canyon - the "Grand Canyon" of Oman - at an altitude of 2500 m. For the access is a off-road vehicle necessary. We book the accomodation with half-board.
This location is ideal for hiking.

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 31.10.10
1 double bungalow per night incl. prepared breakfast and dinner from EUR 129.-

Please contact us for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Falaj Dariz Hotel**** Nizwa

The Falaj Daris Hotel is situated at the town’s beach of Nizwa and about three kilometres away from the city centre.
The very comfortable hotel disposes of two pools which are situated around the rooms. A modern bar and a small very nice restau- rant with indian and far eastern cuisine care for the physical well-being of the guests.

A gym hall and a separated playing zone for children are available.

Price valid from 01.10.08 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night
incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 163.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night
incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 163.-

Please contact us for a personalized
special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Djebel Akhdar Hotel***

The Jabal Akhdar Hotel is situated at an altitude of approx. 2500 m on the Sayq plateau of the Jabal Akhdar. The only access road starts at Birkat al Mauz, and a 4WD vehicle is necessary. It disposes of altogether 24 rooms and one restaurant. All rooms have air condition, TV, telephone and minibar.

Sharqiyah Sands Hotel*** Ibra

The Sharquiyah Sands Hotel is located 10 kilometres to the south of Ibra, about 180 kilometres away from Muscat and about 32 kilometres away from the Wahiba desert. It is located approx. halfway between Muscat to Sur.

he familial and comfortable hotel resort with only 24 rooms and swimming pool has a restaurant where local and international cuisine is served.

All the rooms have a air conditioning, TV and minibar. Furthermore the guests can visit the pub with its nice ambiance. The Sharquiyah Sands Hotel is the best accommodation in Ibra.

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 99.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 31.10.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 106.-

Price valid from 01.11.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 116.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 106.-

Price valid from 01.10.10 till 31.10.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 116.-

Nomadic Desert Camp

The camp is operated by Bedouins and located ca. 20 km in the Wahiba desert at the end of dune slack.

The huts made of palm leafs is the ideal construction in this climate.

The price for one night includes:

- transfer from /to the main road to the desert
- Dinner in Omani style
- Breakfast

If requested with prior notice, camel rides in the desert can be made (surcharge!)

During the summer the camp is closed due to the high temperature.

Price valid from 01.09.09 till 30.05.10
1 double hut per night incl. halfboard
from EUR 167.-

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Turtle Beach Resort

The Turtle Beach Resort is located directly at the big lagoon of Ras Al Hadd, yet on the other side of the village. Within 15 minutes by car you can reach the ocean turtle reserve (Ras al Jinz) The guest sleeps in traditional Barasti (huts made of palm fronds). We book the accomodation with half-board. There are several toilets and showers available which are used by all the guests.

Price vald from 01.05.09 till 31.08.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast and dinner from EUR 96.-

Price vald from 01.09.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast and dinner from EUR 116.-

Please contact us
for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Sur Plaza Hotel****

The Sur Plaza is the best hotel in the area, and has a large swimming pool. It is located inland, about 2 kilometres from the city centre. The simple mid-class hotel with 108 rooms also has a restaurant where international and Arabian cuisine are served, plus a nice bar and a pub where live music entertains the guests.

All rooms are modern and comfortably equipped, with bathroom or shower, toilet, TV, telephone, minibar and air conditioning. The guests can take advantage of the little fitness room (free of charge) and of the health club (for a fee).

Price valid from 01.04.09 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 109.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 149.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 134.-

Price valid from 01.10.10 till 30.04.11
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast
from EUR 169.-

Please contact us for your personalized
special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Al Bustan Palace Hotel *****

The famous hotel belonging to the Sultan, and managed by the Interconti group, is regarded as one of the best hotels in the world.

It is located about 10 minutes by car from the centre of Muscat. The 5* hotel is situated directly on the bay where it has a private beach and is surrounded by the mountains and the sea.

The hotel has 4 international restaurants. Furthermore it has a piano bar with live entertainment, a pool bar as well as a night-club.

The private beach is one kilometre long. Additionally the guest can take advantage of the sizeable heated swimming pool with separate kids’ pool, the fitness room and the massage and beauty salon.

Amenities for the guests who like sports:
- 4 tennis courts with floodlight
- 2 air-conditioned squash courts
- minigolf
- sailing
- beach volleyball
- sailboarding
- kayak
- diving
- table tennis
- petanque/boule
- jogging parcours
- childrens playground

Minimum Stay 

from 24.12.09 to 04.01.10: 5 nights
from 30.03.10 to 09.04.10: 5 nights
from 24.12.10 to 04.01.11: 5 nights


Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 307 79200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Price valid from 16.05.09 to 30.09.09
double bedroom per night
incl. breakfast
from EUR 439.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 to 23.12.09
double bedroom per night
incl. breakfast
from EUR 559.- 

Price valid from 24.12.09 bis 04.01.10
double bedroom per night
incl. breakfast
from EUR 645.-

Price valid from 05.01.10 bis 29.03.10
double bedroom per night
incl. breakfast
from EUR 559.-

Shangri-La´s Al Djissah Resort & Spa *****

The resort consists of 3 hotels. All the rooms of all 3 hotels have sea view and a balcony or terrace. Situated between the hotels is the Piazza where you can stroll and visit shops and restaurants.

Al Husn Hotel******
While the whole complex offers all the amenities of a 5* house to all guests, the guests of the Al Husn can expect a little bit more, such as butler service for all rooms. The exclusive hotel with 180 rooms is located on a promontory with a panoramic view of the coastline, and it has a 100-metre long private beach. Furthermore the guests can enjoy any aspects of the entire resort.

Room rates Al Husn

Al Bandar Hotel*****
This hotel with 198 rooms is at the center of the resort, and is located directly on the beach, which is 450 meters long. The furniture of the rooms is in the traditional Omani style. Here are also located most of the restaurants and bars of the resort.

Room rates Al Bandar

Al Waha Hotel*****
This hotel is ideal for families because it has its own pools and playgrounds and it is separated from the other two hotels by a ridge, and has 302 rooms. The Kids’ Club has a professional staff and has its own pool and playing areas for children. The catering is also very family-friendly.

Room rates Al Waha

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

The Chedi Muscat*****

The Chedi is most impressive with its meditative Asian character (feng shui-style) and a beautiful garden in which especially the water garden is fascinating. Note: Due to the hotel’s proximity to the airport, on occasion aircraft noise can be heard, depending on the wind direction and the angle of approach.

The hotel has 3 restaurants and a poolside bar.

There are 2 swimming pools available, one for families with children and one for guests aged 16 and older. Furthermore there is a fitness centre and 2 tennis courts. Guests who like health & wellness can relax in the classic spa, and enjoy massage and other treatments.

The 161 modern, exclusive and elegant rooms and suites are suitably equipped and offer a panoramic view of the mountains or the Indian Ocean. All rooms have air conditioning, TV, minibar, telephone, PC-connection, safe, hairdryer and bathrobe.

Superior room: the 61 superior rooms are situated in the four-storied Saray Wing and offer a view of the sea or the mountains. Deluxe room: the 60 rooms of this category are situated in the one- or two-storied Chedi Wing. The rooms on the ground floor offer a nice view at the beautiful courtyard with its fountains and plants. The upper rooms offer a view of the sea or the mountains.

Chedi Club Suites: the 40 suites in this category are situated in a quieter area of the hotel resort and a little bit off the main building. They are built in the style of private villas and each of them has its own living room with large windows which offer a clear view of the water garden.

Price valid from 01.06.09 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 277.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 25.12.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from ab EUR 449.-

Price valid from 26.12.09 till 09.01.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 549.-

Price valid from 10.01.10 till 07.05.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 449.-

Price valid from 08.05.10 till 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 227.-

Price valid from 01.10.10 till 25.12.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 449.-

Price valid from 26.12.10 till 08.01.11
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 577.-

Minimum Stay 24.12.09 - 05.01.10:
7 nights

Christmas supplement 2009:
EUR 110.- per person
New Year supplement 2009:
EUR 239.- per person

Christmas supplement 2010:
EUR 110.-per person
New Year supplement 2010:
EUR 239.-per person

Please contact us for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Intercontinental Muscat*****

The Muscat Intercontinental Hotel -- situated between the Hajar mountains and the sea Ruw -- is located on the popular beach of Qurum in the midst of a magnificient palm garden and has a spacious pool area. The 5-star hotel is located not far from the lively business centre of Muscat. Each of the 256 rooms (with bathroom, hairdryer, telephone, TV with video-function, minibar, air conditioning and balcony) offers a panoramic view at the wide sandy beach, the nice garden and the impressive Hajar mountains.

The restaurants and bars offer a enormous variety of international specialties.

Sport and wellness: besides the partially covered swimming pool and the fitness centre there are 6 tennis courts and 2 air conditioned squash courts. Furthermore you can go sailing, fishing, or sailboarding. A diving centre is only some minutes by car away. For the young guests there is a kids’ pool and a playground.

Price valid fom 10.06.09 till 18.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 348.-

Price valid fom 19.09.09 till 31.10.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 445.-

Price valid fom 01.11.09 till 25.12.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 336.-

Price valid fom 26.12.09 till 06.01.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 364.-

Price valid fom 07.01.10 till 26.03.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 336.-

Price valid fom 27.03.10 till 07.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 364.-

Price valid fom 08.04.10 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 336.-

Price valid fom 01.05.10 till 10.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 248.-

Price valid fom 11.09.10 till 31.10.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet
breakfast from EUR 336.-

Please contact us
for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Muscat Crowne Plaza ****

All of the 208 comfortably equipped rooms and suites have air conditioning, TV, mini- bar, hairdryer and telephone with voicemail.
The hotel has 4 restaurants and 3 bars. The guests can take advantage of the heated swimming pool, 2 tennis courts with floodlight, a fitness centre, sauna and steam baths, health bar and health treatments.

For the young guests the hotel offers a playground and a kids’ pool.
The Crowne Plaza is not far away from a shopping quarter and is situated pictures- quely on a promontory at the eastern end of popular Qurum Beach. In the afternoon you will enjoy a wonderful view over the bay and the sunset. You can reach the private bay via a newly installed staircase.

Oman Sheraton*****

The Oman Sheraton Ruwi Hotel is located directly in the new business and financial district and is therefore ideal mainly for the business traveller.

The Hotel is currently closed due to  renovation.

Please contact us for your personalized
special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Grand Hyatt*****

Minimum Stay 
from 27.12.09 till 05.01.10:
arrival the 28th and 29th of Dec: 5 nights
arrival the 30th and 31th of Dec: 4 nights

from 27.12.10 till 05.01.11:
arrival the 28th and 29th of Dec: 5 nights
arrival the 30th and 31th of Dec: 4 nights

The Grand Hyatt is a dream out of the "Thousand and One Nights" come true. It is the fantasy palace of Sheikh Ahmed Farid, made real by top Italian designers with cultural characteristics from Yemen and Oman. The very popular luxury hotel situated at the exclusive beach of Shati-al Qurum is absolutely worth seeing even if you do not lodge here. The 280 elegant and very spacious rooms (about 70 qm) of the Grand Hyatt Muscat are furnished very tastefully. All the rooms have air conditioning, TV, telephone, minibar, hairdryer and safe.

Excellent restaurants and bars care for the guests culinary well-being, while a nightclub and a bar offer evening entertainment.

The hotel has a heated outside pool with sun deck and a beautiful garden. The guests have direct access to the beach where various sport activities are on offer. There are also fitness centre, tennis and squash courts, a sauna, spa and a beauty salon.

Price valid from 01.06.09 till 22.09.09 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 248.-

Price valid from 23.09.09 till 27.12.09 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 349.-

Price valid from 28.12.09 till 04.01.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 417.-*

*Compulsary New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner supplement 2009: EUR 165.- per person

Price valid from 05.01.10 till 31.05.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 349.-

Price valid from 01.06.10 till 07.09.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 248.-

Price valid from 08.09.10 till 27.12.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 349.-

Price valid from 28.12.10 till 04.01.11
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 417.-*

*Compulsary New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner supplement 2010: EUR 165.- per person

Please contact us for your personalized
special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Golden Tulip Seeb***

The Golden Tulip Seeb Hotel is a good mid- class hotel located in the immediate vicinity of the Muscat airport (2 km). The hotel has 117 rooms, which have balcony, bath, toilet, telephone, TV, minibar and hairdryer. The hotel offers a daily shuttle service to the city centre Carrefour as well as to the beach of the Muscat Aviation Beach Club (no swimming pool).
Entering the hotel you first see the beautiful lobby in atrium style.The amenities include the restaurant, the bar and a beauty salon. In addition the hotel has a swimming pool with pool bar, and a separate pool for children.

Sports: fitness room, sauna, tennis

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 31.10.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 161.-

Price valid from 01.11.09 till 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 192.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 15.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 161.-

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Villa Shems**

The Villa Shems, a small comfortable pension, is located almost 4 kilomters from the beach of Qurum. The villa fondly directed by the German Hilde Schmid and located above the town in the exclusive residential area has only 6 double bedrooms and 3 suites. All the rooms dispose of air condition, TV, hairdryer and bathrobe. Furthermore there is a swimmingpool for the guests. Because of the personal and familial atmosphere this accomodation is very popular.

Price valid from 02.11.08 till 31.10.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast EUR 118.-

Price valid from 01.11.09 till 31.10.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast EUR 118.-

Please contact us for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Oman Dive Centre

The 30 comfortable barasti huts are situated directly at the sandy beach. On the terrace you can enjoy the wonderful evening light and the dulcet climate.

In the restaurant "Odyssey" for the guest’s physical well-being is cared. The guest can choose if he wants to dine on the terrace of the restaurant or in the climatized refectory.

The dive station of the Extra Divers, the Oman Dive Center, is under German management. Divers hold this accomodation in high regard because the variety and richness of fish, especially at the wreck, is enormous.

There are also remarkably many morays. rays, and crampfish are regularly to be seen.

It is a 15-minute drive to historical Muscat.

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 15.09.09 1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 149.-

Price valid from 16.09.09 till 18.11.09
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 169.-

Price valid from 19.11.09 till 30.11.09
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 01.12.09 till 22.12.09
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 169.-

Price valid from 23.12.09 till 05.01.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 199.-*

*Christmas- & New Year Supplement:
EUR 49.- per person

Price valid from 06.01.10 till 23.03.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 169.-

Price valid from 24.03.10 till 10.04.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 11.04.10 till 30.04.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 169.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 31.08.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 149.-

Price valid from 01.09.10 till 11.09.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 12.09.10 till 31.10.10
1 double hut per night incl. half-board
from EUR 169.-

Minimum Stay: 4 nights
For divers only 

Please contact us
for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Ramee Guestline Hotel***

The Ramee Guestline Hotel is located close-by the souks and approx. 5 minutes by foot away from the beach of Qurum. Regrettably the 90 rooms do not have any balcony.

The hotel has a restaurant and a bar as well as sauna, fitness room and turkish sauna/steam bath.

Price valid from 01.05.08 till 31.10.08
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 131.-

Price valid from 01.11.08 till 31.12.08
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 175.-

Price valid from 01.01.09 till 30.04.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 203.-

Price valid from 01.05.09 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast from EUR 146.-

Please contact us
for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 7473 3340
Fax: (+49-89) 7473 3333

Al Nadha Spa & Resort*****

The Al Nahda Hotel was opened in November 2006. It is a beautiful resort for health and wellness, located in a big botanic garden area. You can relax at the private spa. The resort has four restaurants, which offer international, Indian and Arabic food. Additionally the hotel has a bar.

In the garden you can find a big swimming pool with pool bar and a childrens’ play- ground.

All rooms have TV, minibar and air
conditioning.

The resort is a few kilometres from Barka and about 80 kilometres away from Muscat. The distance to the airport is approx. 38 kilometres.

The resort offers over 110 rooms and studios:

- Executive Suite (about 70 sq.m)
- Premium Suite (about 67 sq.m)
- Suite Royàle (about 104 sq.m)

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 31.05.10*

Executive Suite (2 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 319.-

Premium Suite (2 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 347.-

Suite Royàle (4 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 579.-

*Christmas and New Year’s Eve Supplement: EUR 69.- p.P.

Price valid from 01.06.10 till 30.09.10

Executive Suite (2 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 219.-

Premium Suite (2 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 249.-

Suite Royàle (4 persons) for 1 night incl. buffet-breakfast from EUR 399.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Sawadi Beach Resort***

2 restaurants and 5 bars/pubs care for the physical well-being of the guests. The hotel is suitable especially for the guests who enjoy sports, such as snorkeling and diving, water skiing, kayaking or jet ski. Furthermore there is a health club with fitness center, a volleyball field, a tennis court as well as a squash court.

Further amenities: a heated swimming pool, a whirlpool as well as a sauna and also massages can be booked.

For kids there are: minigolf, kids pool, playground, quad rental.

The spacious beach resort is located on an endless sandy beach with a panoramic view of the offshore Sawadi islands. Muscat is about 60 kilometres away.

Each of the altogether 100 rooms has its own terrace or balcony, air conditioning, safe, telephone, minibar, tea kettle, TV, radio and a spacious bathroom.

Summer Special Offer:
Price valid till 15.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl.breakfast
from EUR 79.-

Price valid from 16.09.09 till 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl.breakfast
from EUR 142.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 30.04.10*
1 double bedroom per night incl.breakfast
from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl.breakfast
from EUR 159.-

*Christmas Supplement: EUR 68.- p.P.
*New Year Supplement: EUR 68.- p.P

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Sohar Beach Hotel***

The hotel is located 200 kilometers north of Muscat, an ideal location for exploring the northern Batinah coastline or to stay over on the way to Dubai (distance to the Dubai airport: about 190 kilometres, distance to the Muscat airport: about 210 kilometres).

The hotel is built in the style of an Omani fort. The main restaurant, the Sallan Coffee Shop; offers a varied assortment of the Arabian and international cuisine.

The hotel has a big pool area and the beautiful, wide public beach is only few minutes away on foot.

The following leisure facilities are on offer: beach volleyball, tennis, fitness room with jacuzzi and sauna (all free of charge).
For a fee: floodlight for the tennis court, golf, camel-riding, cycling, cricket, jet-ski on request, and various boat trips.
The hotel offers 41 spacious and comfortable rooms which are all equipped with bathroom or shower, toilet, hairdryer, minibar, telephone, TV, air conditioner, balcony and terrace.

Price valid from 01.09.09 till 31.12.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. breakfast  from EUR 249.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Crowne Plaza Resort*****

The Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah (formerly the Holiday Inn) is situated in a large, lush tropical garden with coconut palm trees. The sandy beach of the Arabian Sea, situated directly in front of the resort, invites you to stay and relax, and to take extensive walks. The old market in the district Haffah of Salalah is only some minutes away by taxi

The five-storied hotel has more than 120 rooms, 2 royal suites, 4 arabic suites, 3 junior suites and 19 family villas with 3 bedrooms each. All the rooms have bathroom, radio, telephone, minibar and TV. The suites have also a jacuzzi.

9 restaurants and bars assure proper care for the physical well-being of the guests.

Sports: swimming pool with separate kids area, kids-club, watersports center, diving center, 2 tennis courts with floodlights, squash court, minigolf, beach volleyball, health club, gym, outdoor jacuzzi, sauna, relaxation room, massage, and bicycle rental.

The airport of Salalah is about 10 minutes away and the city centre about 7 minutes.

Hilton Salalah*****

The luxury hotel is situated some 10 kilo- meters outside the town near the trans- shipping port. The hotel has 3 restaurants and 2 bars.

In addition to a swimming pool with a small water slide there is also a kids’ pool.

Price valid from 01.09.09 till 30.09.09 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 123.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 till 31.10.09 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 189.-

Price valid from 01.11.09 till 30.04.10* 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 225.-

* New Year’s Dinner Gala Compulsory Supplement: EUR 69.- p.P.

Price valid from 01.05.10 till 30.06.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 137.-

Price valid from 01.07.10 till 14.07.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 225.-

Price valid from 15.07.10 till 31.08.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 309.-

Price valid from 01.09.10 till 30.09.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 137.-

Price valid from 01.10.10 till 31.10.10 1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 225.-

Mininum Stay:
26.12.09 till 06.01.10: 7 nights

Please contact us
for a personalized special offer !

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Arabian Sea Villas

The freshly renovated Arabian Sea Villas sit directly on a beautiful white sandy beach. Each of the 22 rooms has its own bathroom with shower and toilet and is equipped with AC and ceiling fan. The superior rooms have satellite television and a small refrigerator. 

We have Wi-Fi access throughout the villas if you bring your own laptop or for small fee you can use our onsite computer to check your email.

There is a shaded roof terrace with an expansive view of the ocean – perfect for sunbathing or lounging.

Our onsite restaurant is now available for dinners and private parties. Please check with management to make the necessary reservations.

The center of Salalah, with its famous frank-incense market, is only 5 minutes away by car.

Behind the houses are vast plantations of bananas, papayas and coconut palms. 

Prices valid from 01.09.09 till 30.06.10
(per room)

Terrace Room:
incl. breakfast per room/night EUR 100

Balcony Room :
incl. breakfast per room/night EUR 95

Sea View Room:
incl. breakfast per room/night EUR 90

City View Room:
incl. breakfast per room/nightEUR 60

Family Room (4 beds):
incl. breakfast per room/night EUR 120

For reservations please contact:

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Midan Hotel Suites****

Midan Hotel Suites is an all-suite, boutique hotel, offering 37 suites, from studios to a 3-bedroom penthouse.  The suites range in size from 45 m2 for the one bedroom suites through to 100 m2 for the 2-bedroom suites. All suites are furnished in a contemporary style, are WiFi enabled, have satellite television, direct-dial telephone, and a well-equipped kitchen (refrigerator, coffee-maker, washing machine, ironing board and iron, plus dishes and utensils).  Complimentary tea & coffee.

It is located in the growing area of Al Ghubrah, just 12 km from Muscat International Airport and a five minute drive to Ministry offices and the Embassy area. The principal shopping areas, historical, cultural and entertainment attractions of Muscat are easily accessible.  

The property is perfectly suited to businessmen, due to its location, quality and amenities, and has been ranked #1 in the TripAdvisor Business Popularity Index (2009). Families will love the convenience of en suite kitchen and laundry facilities, plus more space than in any other 4-star property in Oman. Tourists who are day-tripping from Muscat and do not need to lie by a  pool will also appreciate the level of comfort here.

The hotel has a coffee lounge with carefully chosen refreshments and decor, an award-winning Thai restaurant, and a health center with workout facilities and health spa treatments available.  The hotel is elegant and modern without being prim or sterile, and features designer furnishings with cheerful bursts of colour. Wireless internet is available throughout. 

Sur Beach Hotel***

The Sur Beach Hotel is situated on the extreme western edge of the city, directly on the sea (gravelly beach). 

The hotel was completely renovated after the tropical cyclone Gunu passed through this region. There is a swimming pool, and there are a few apartment suites.

Villa Luluat

This private villa offers 4 air-conditioned guest rooms, which are tastefully and luxuriously decorated. It is located at the edge of the Wadi Al Atheiba, directly on its outlet to the Gulf of Oman.

The quiet, peaceful terrace, where a copious breakfast is served, invites you to relax under the lemon trees.

In the evening you can while away the hours in the garden, lounging in an Arabian tent, puffing on a waterpipe!

Price valid from 01.09.09 bis 30.08.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 195.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Salalah Youth Hotel***

The Salalah Youth Hotel, and its sister in Al Ashkarah, were recently built to a high standard, to provide families and small groups of youth with spacious, refined accommodations. Most rooms are doubles with twin beds. There are some adjoining rooms with connecting doors.

Breakfast and other meals may be taken in the centrally located restaurant.

The Salalah Youth Hostel is located between Salalah town and the surrounding mountains. It is an approx. 10 minute drive downtown, or to the airport.

Price valid from 01.10.09 bis 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 99.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Al Ashkharah Youth Hotel***

The Al Ashkhara Youth Hotel, and its sister in Salalah, were recently built to a high standard, to provide families and small groups of youth with spacious, refined accommodations. Most rooms are doubles with twin beds. There are some adjoining rooms with connecting doors.

Breakfast and other meals may be taken in the centrally located restaurant.

The Al Ashkhara Youth Hotel is loca-ted across the main road from the beach, just a couple of km south of Al Ash-khara.

Price valid from 01.10.09 bis 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 99.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841 

Muscat Holiday Hotel****

The Muscat Holiday Hotel is located in Al Khuwair, midway between the airport and teh central business district. The natural History Museum is 1 Km away.

There are 123 spacious bedrooms, including 3 junior suites, 3 executive suites. All rooms have satellite TV, radio, hairdryer, minibar, direct dial phone, and air-conditioning.

There is a swimming pool; a kids’ pool; tennis courts, a health club/fitness centre, with gymnasium and steam bath; plus various dining, lounge and pub facilities located within the premises, as well as business facilities and meeting rooms.

Price valid from 01.05.09 bis 30.09.09
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 159.-

Price valid from 01.10.09 bis 30.04.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 199.-

Price valid from 01.05.10 bis 30.09.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 159.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

The Treasure Box Hotel***

Located in the quiet residential area of Al Ghubra, in walking distance to the Grand Mosque, the Treasure Box is easy to reach via a direct exit of Sultan Qaboos Highway.

You will reach the Muscat International Airport within 10 Minutes as well as the business districts of Al Khuwayr and Qurm.

The standard double rooms are 18 sqm in size. Views from the rooms are in the direction of the Grand Mosque and to the north of Muscat. Double rooms accommodate up to two adults in double or twin beds. A separate sitting area with a swiveling 32” LCD satellite TV and Wifi Internet access will turn your room into your office. The open bathroom features European standards like a design washbasin and a flat walk in rain shower. 

Price valid from 01.01.09 bis 31.10.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 189.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Al Sahab Resort Jabal al Akhdar****

Here, on a ledge overlooking the yawning canyon and the green terraces of the villages below, is a treasure trove of fossils, just metres from the road. And it is right here that, by the end of the year, you will find the second hotel in Jebel Akhdar.

After almost 18 years in the Omani navy, Nabhan al Nabhani has returned to Jebel Akhdar with an idea for a boutique hotel with a light touch that will do justice to the mountain he calls home. Rather than build on the foundations of fossils, the hotel is being built around them, making them the primary attraction, followed by a view that stretches across the mountains.

“Do you think my guests will want thick carpets and television?” he asks, sitting over fossil-bejewelled rock that will later be polished, near an infinity swimming pool that, filled to the brim, will look out over the canyon. The unfinished outer walls of the hotel will be laden with local mountain stone to blend in with the landscape, making the hotel nearly invisible from a distance, and ceilings will be decorated with wooden slats imported from Zanzibar.

Nabhan and his brother Ibrahim started working on their 6,000 square metre land grant years ago. When it opens at the end of the year, it will boast up to 38 rooms, private gardens where backyard fossils will be as much an attraction as the plants, and a new concept for tourism on the jebel. Accommodation will range from VIP suites to regular rooms, the premium ones coming with gardens, bedrooms, a sitting room and pantry. Fossils have never before been bathed in such luxury.

You may be among the first guests to visit this exquisite and stunning 4-star mountain-top resort.

Please contact us for a personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49-89) 3077 9200
Fax: (+49-89) 300 2841

Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay*****

Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay is located at the Indian Ocean on the northern Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman, close to Dibba at the border to the UAE.

The setting of the indigenous village style accommodations and private marina is dramatic, with mountains on one side and a 1.6-kilometer sandy beach at Zighy Bay, on the other.

The 79 pool villas, plus The Private Reserve, and 2 Retreats are a blend of the surrounding traditional Omani, indigenous village style with modern amenities which provide luxury amidst local cultural themes.

Price valid from 01.10.09 bis 10.12.09
1 pool villa (2 persons) per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 999.-

Price valid from 21.12.09 bis 10.01.10
1 pool villa (2 persons) per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 1389.-

Price valid from 11.01.10 bis 10.05.10
1 pool villa (2 persons) per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 999.-


Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841

Khasab Hotel***

The new Khasab Hotel was built next to the old one, with the same access to the swimming pool as before.  The restaurant offers seafood, Arabic, continental, Indian and other cuisines.

Located at the edge of town, the hotel faces the mountains. Khasab’s town centre is easily reached on foot. The airport is only a few minutes away, with free transfers to and from the hotel.

The air-conditioned rooms are equipped with satellite TV, refrigerator, tea kettle, telephone, etc.

Price valid from 01.09.09 bis 30.05.10
1 double bedroom per night incl. buffet breakfast from EUR 129.-

Please contact us for your personalized special offer!

e-mail: sales@oman-tours.com

Tel.: (+49) 89 3077 9200
Fax: (+49) 89 300 2841