"muscat" a Muscat Travel Page by TomorrowsAngel

Greater Muscat is made up of three distinct cities, separated geographically by hills and ridges, and each with its own particular identity.
Muscat is the old port area; Mutrah, to the northwest, is the main trading district with the country’s most important harbour; whereas Ruwi, built on a grid-plan in a valley a few kilometres inland, has developed only in the late 20th century into a modern commercial and administrative centre. Still newer parts are the largely residential suburb of Qurm, and Medinat Qaboos with many government buildings, west of Mutrah on the coast. Al-Bustani, south of Muscat, boasts a luxury hotel: the Al-Bustan Palace Hotel.

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Mirani Fort -> Jalali Fort (Nizwa.NET pic)

The city is guarded east and west by two great stone forts, built on Arab foundations by the Portuguese in the late 16th century, making the port almost impregnable. Until the 1970s, cannons were fired from the two towers every night as the town gates were dragged shut. Both forts are used by the police and army and are closed to the public, though you can take photos. Fort Jalali, to the east, used to serve as a prison. The Sultan’s Royal Guard is installed in Fort Mirani, where there are still some old bronze cannons.

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watchtower view, near Mutrah, Muscat

The capital of Oman is an ancient walled city, built around a fine natural harbour and encircled by rocky mountains that provide an impressive backdrop to a mixture of traditional and modern architecture. It is the hub of the country's political, economic and cultural commercial affairs.