Mosques in Oman

Mosques are an important part of everyday life in Oman. They are places of prayer, schools for the study of religion and meeting places for the community. Mosques built in the ibadhi tradition are simple buildings and have no minaret. The plain interiors are occasionally decorated with ornaments and calligraphy in the prayer niche and on the wooden ceiling.

As ritual ablution is necessary before prayer, mosques used to be built close to water sources such as wells or the traditional irrigation system of small canals, the faladj system. Today, however, in the age of water pipes, mosques can be found everywhere - often with separate prayer rooms for both men and women.

Islam actually allows believers of the other monotheistic religions to visit a mosque for worship purposes. However, as tourists do not usually visit mosques for spiritual reasons but out of curiosity, they are not welcome in Islamic places of worship. Onlookers disrupt the devotions of every believer and may even cancel their prayers; in most cases, a sign »for muslims only« clearly indicates this restriction. The only exceptions so far are the large Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscat and the Qaboos Mosque in Salalah and Sohar, which can be visited by non-Muslims every day except Friday mornings from 8 am to 11 am.