"Muscat - مسقط" a Muscat Travel Page by MM212

Unique among its sister cities in the Gulf, Muscat is where chocolate-coloured mountains touch the ocean. Although a sleepy town compared to Dubai, Muscat has more successfully blended tradition and modernity. With its no-stress, relaxed atmosphere, and hardly any skyscrapers to rival the peaks of the mountains, Muscat is a different world. Greater Muscat, the capital of Oman, is made up of a string of towns that were once distinct villages separated by mountains and seas: Old Muscat, Matrah, Ruwi and el-Qurm, to name a few. The country's history was shaped by Islam, by Ottoman and Persian interference, Portuguese and British occupations and an Omani maritime empire that extended all the way to Zanzibar in Africa. Muscat's proximity to the Indian subcontinent is also evident in its heritage and architecture. It is a city of rugged mountains, ancient castles, ornate mosques and beautiful beaches.