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Ruwi is the only inland district of the capital area. The commercial headquarters of the nation, Ruwi will be the focus of most business trips to the capital. It has a nice strip of stalls and shops along its modern main street. Attractions include the National Museum and the Sultan's Armed Forces Museum (inside the Bait al-Falaj fort), which offers an overview of Oman's military history.
Continuing west along the coast, you'll soon find yourself in the residential area known as Madinat Qaboos, home to the Oman Museum and the interesting Natural History Museum (it's next door to the Ministry of Culture, where permits can be obtained to visit the country's archaeological sites). Farther west, en route to the airport, is one of the city's newest and biggest projects, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Morning tours are open to all, Muslim or not. Southwest of Masqat on the road to Sur is the fertile Wadi Daiqah Gorge, one of the few wadis, or river valleys, that has water year-round. This scenic spot is a great place for a picnic.
Along the east side of the city, the road connecting the Al Bustan Hotel and the Masqat Dive Center offers spectacular, other-planetary scenery and amazing coastal views. If you take a taxi tour of the city, be sure to have your driver take you down this stretch of road. |