Tag: Oman

Places to visit in Muscat and Oman Part 1 ( Islamic Architecture and Buildings )

Oman is known to be famous for its cultural and traditional heritage. Oman has various tourist attractions, especially in the area of Islamic architecture and places known to have oldest traditional values. If you are coming to Oman and wondering where should you go, you are at the right place.

The broad categories of locations which can be visited are as follows. Each link below has a separate post related to that category. This post covers Islamic Architecture and Buildings.

  • Islamic Architecture and Buildings (Part 1)
  • Cultural and traditional markets (Part 2)
  • Mountain Ranges (coming soon)
  • Wadis (valleys) (coming soon)
  • Beaches and coastlines. (coming soon)

Note: I will create a separate post for all type of activities that you can do in Oman. But right now, let’s start with famous places worth visiting in Oman.

Islamic Architecture and Buildings

1. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is located in the capital city of Muscat. It is one pof the most photogenic locations for photography. The dome and the main minaret and four flanking minarets are the mosque’s chief visual features. A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet which is the largest single-piece carpet in the world. The chandelier above the praying hall is 14m tall and it used to be the world’s largest chandelier.

Good for: Witness Islamic architecture at its best. Amazing photography location for outdoor portraits. Beautiful arches and traditional lamps. Audio tour is available if you are more interested in its history. Do check out the visitor library as well.

Visitor Timings : 8AM-11AM from Saturday to Thursday (No tickets required)

Note: People have to dress modestly and ladies have to wear head scarf while visiting.

  • Grand Mosque by Shades Photography
  • Grand Mosque Muscat
  • Grand Mosque by Shades Photography
  • Grand Mosque by Shades Photography
  • Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque by Henz B Solih
  • Grand Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
  • Grand Mosque by Shades Photography

2. The Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) is Oman’s premier venue for musical arts and culture. It reflects unique contemporary Omani architecture, and has a capacity to accommodate maximum of 1,100 people. The opera house complex consists of a concert theatre, auditorium, formal landscaped gardens, cultural market with retail, luxury restaurants and an art centre for musical, theatrical and operatic productions.

Good for: If you are fan of luxurious architecture/auditoriums and ancient and most exotic musical instruments/dresses, this place is for you. A decent guided tour is available. Photography is absolutely allowed so you can have a good shoot inside or outside building.

Visitor Timings : Daily House Tours: 08:30 am – 5:30 pm (Ticket : 4 OMR)

  • Opera House by Shades Photography
  • Opera House by Shades Photography
  • Opera House by Shades Photography
  • Opera House by Shades Photography
  • Opera House by Shades Photography
  • Royal Opera House Muscat
  • Opera House by Shades Photography

3. Al Ameen Mosque

Set high on a hill in Bausher, the Al Ameen mosque (known to some as the Bahwan mosque) is very famous. Its beautifully illuminated domes have already come to feel essential to the Muscat skyline. The lovely place of worship is admired by many residents from the exterior alone. The interior spaces feature a contemporary Omani style with rich carved woods accenting crisp white marble.

Good for: Its completely white marble construction is very unique and a must watch during the later times of the day. Its ideal for photography during sunset and blue hour because of its beautifully lighted dome and minarets.

Note: No specific visitor timings and tickets. Just avoid the prayer timings during the day.

4. Sultan Said bin Taimur Mosque

Sultan Said bin Taimur Mosque was built in the memory of the father of Sultan Qaboos in 1999. It is built in the architectural style of Ottoman mosques and looks very reminiscent of the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Hagia Sofia of Turkey. The mosque stands imposed on the backdrop of the mountains of Muscat in the buzzing heart of Al Khuwair. The mosque features a number of copper-coloured domes and two 50 meters high minarets.

Good for: Outdoor Photography in late evening. If you go during off peak hours, you might get a chance to see this mosque from inside. Its construction is very unique from other mosques in Oman.

Note: Sadly, this mosque is not open for non-muslim visitors.

This post is still under construction. I am adding more architectural sites as I am getting more and more info and pictures. All pictures in this post are by Author – Imran Zahid (the shades Photography) unless otherwise stated. Do visit other sections from top listing.

I conduct Photography tours and vacation shoots mostly in Muscat and sometimes other parts of Oman on a regular basis. If you are coming to Oman for few days and want to visit places best suited for photography, checkout my Oman Photography Tour page and if you just want a quick vacation photo shoot in Oman, do check out Book a vacation photographer in Oman. Feel free to reach me on im.zahid@hotmail.com.

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Commercial Photography in Muscat, Oman

For dedicated Photography Workshop in Oman. See here & for dedicated lifestyle photo sessions see here.

Photographer : Imran Zahid
Cell no. : +968-95842090
Email : im.zahid@hotmail.com
Commercial Instagmam : @imranzahidphoto

Event  | Wedding| Product | Portrait  

I am Imran Zahid – A commercial photographer pursuing photography/traveling as a side kick apart from being a full time Software Consultant (it helps me in focusing on my passion rather than worrying about generating income ).

I have been working in Oman for quite sometime with various clients (both individuals as well as companies) as a freelance commercial photographer on project and monthly basis.

My main areas are usually event, wedding and product photography for companies and small businesses. I do cover dedicated portrait sessions and vacation trips occasionally too.

Below you will find few samples of my shoots in different categories. You can always find my latest work over my instagram handle

Personal Portraits / Vacation

Commercial Photo-shoots

Event Photo-shoots

Product Photography

Feel free to reach me over email or phone. We can fix a quick meeting to see How and when we can collaborate in a more meaningful way.

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Where to find photography gear/camera shops in Oman

I have been a victim of Gadget addiction syndrome (GAS) for a long time. The bad news is, I am still suffering from it 🙂 If you are a photography enthusiast and you are just moved to Oman ( or planning to ), this post is for you. Follow below for a complete list of shops dealing in photography equipment in Oman.

Note: For dedicated Portrait and Lifestyle photo session in Oman, Check out my post ‘Book a Vacation Photographer‘ & For workshops Photography Workshop / Training in Oman. 

Below is a brief list of places in no particular where you can buy or rent new or used photography equipment in Oman . Off course OLX Muscat is also a great place to buy used gear too. The list contains all major camera shops that deals in major camera manufactures like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Sigma, Tokina, manfrotto and all other accessory manufacturers.

Photo Center

Screenshot-2018-6-1 photo center oman - Google Search

Probably the one of the most reputed camera shop in Muscat. Official dealers of Fujifilm, Sigma, Manfrotto, Hassleblad, Epson etc. They have a bunch of other services like printing,framing, image restoration, time-lapse and photography services. They have a very functional, well updated website, so you can find everything there.

Website: http://photocent.com/

Contact : 24571708, 24 565305

Email: , 

SKT Oman

skt

Another one stop shop for photography equipment in Muscat. They have a very good service and almost all brands are available here. They have a very functional facebook page with up-to-date discount deals coming all the time.

Facebook: SKTOman

Contact: 98220020

Email: vatsalskt@gmail.com

Khimji store

Official Dealer of Nikon in Oman. If you are a Nikon fan, its like a second home for you 🙂

Website: http://www.khimji.com

Contact: 22060116

Email: p.bhujwala@kr.om

Genetco Oman

Official dealer of Canon in Oman. One stop shop for all Canon Lovers.
 

Website: http://www.genetco.net/

Contact: 22058000

Jumbo Electronics

Official Dealer of Sony in Oman. Deals in other electronic equipment as well.

Contact: 24814851

Go 4 rent

One of the very first photography equipment rental store in Oman. They have a very good and functional Instagram account. Check out their latest deals and available equipment online anytime.

Instagram: Go4Rent

Contact: 91200024

Email: info@go4rent.om

FOTOflash

 
Contact : 92317702
Email : Fotoflashlulu@gmail.com
 

Carrefour Oman

Deals in Sony,Canon and Nikon and other brands.

Website: https://www.carrefouroman.com/

Contact: 80073232

Extra Oman

Deals in general photography gear as well as other electronic equipment.
 

Website: http://www.extrastores.com/en-om

Facebook: Extra Stores Oman

Contact: 24212421

Lulu Oman

Deals in general photography gear as well as other electronic equipment.

Website: http://www.luluhypermarket.com/

Facebook: LuLuHypermarketOM

Contact: 22034000

Sharaf DG Oman

 
Deals in general photography gear as well as other electronic equipment.
 

Website: https://oman.sharafdg.com/

Facebook: SharafDG

Contact: 22009280

Camera store

Another shop with a very good and updated Instagram presence. Latest deals  are coming all the time on their Instagram.

Instagram: CameraStore

Contact: 96904494

P.S. Most of the shops mentioned here are in Muscat (capital city) as I spent most of my time here. If you know any good places here or outside Muscat do mention in comments so I will update this post.

Contact me on WhatsApp

Have questions or need a hand? | am here to help. Reach our friendly support team via WhatsApp.

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Gems of Oman – Nizwa Fort/market

The Gems of Oman is a series which contains photo stories and videos about various worth photographing locations of Oman.

Oman is famous for its cultural heritage and architecture that is still intact in its most pure form in various cities. Nizwa is one of them. The famous Nizwa souq (market) and fort is the most eye catchy landmark that captures that attention of all the tourist who want to see the true culture of Oman in its purist form.

This video was shot completely on Olympus OMD-EM 5 and iphone 6 hand held.

For dedicated Photography Tour in Oman click here. For Photography Workshop in Oman click here.

A short collection of street photography of Nizwa will also let you take a glimpse of this location before coming to actually immerse in it.

 

Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Fort by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Mutrah Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography

P.S. The cinematography and photography on this post is done solely by me. If you are coming to Oman and want to see and capture it in a unique way, you can contact me for dedicated private photography tour/workshop here

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Photography Tour / Workshop in Muscat, Oman

For dedicated Photography Workshop in Oman. See here

Photographer : Imran Zahid

Travel  | Street | Landscape | Portrait  

I am Imran Zahid – A photographer/writer pursuing photography/traveling as a side kick apart from being a full time Software Consultant (it helps me in focusing on my passion rather than worrying about generating income 🙂 ).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Fire in the sky by Shades Photography

I have been conducting photography workshops and photography tours in Oman for individuals and groups for quite some time. Whether you are coming to Oman and want to make the most out of your trip in terms of photography or you just want to see as many beautiful places in Oman in limited amount of time – I have a plan tailored made for your needs.

Feel free to contact me on whatsapp 

A short montage of a recent photography tour in Muscat

Portrait of an Old Man at Nathia Gali, Pakistan
Yiti by Imran Zahid
Murneef Cave by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Fort by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Grand Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Qantub beach by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Yiti Mountains by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Bahla Fort by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Wadi Shab Sunrise by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography

My main area of interests are Landscape, Street and Environmental Portraits. You will find plenty of these opportunities in all over Oman if you are at right place at right time and that’s where I comes in  – to take you to right places at right time to make the most out of it.

Oman is full of Traditional and cultural activities (Horse/camel races), Old traditional markets, beautiful and serene beaches, Majestic Wadis (valleys), Amazing Deserts, Old Islamic Architecture and above all beautiful and friendly people etc.

Whether you are coming to Oman for a short visit or you want to learn some handy photography skills, you can contact me on my email ( im.zahid@hotmail.com ) to discuss and let me make a plan tailored made to your schedule and needs (I will send you sample itinerary). I conduct tours and workshops for individuals and small groups. If necessary, I arrange hotels and cars for people coming on a short trip too.

You can check my profile and social media handles for some of my work. Also checkout my post ‘Oman for Photographers‘about places for photography in Oman which will give you an idea on how photogenic Oman is by clicking here

500px :http://500px.com/imrzahid

Photography Blog : https://theshadesphotography.wordpress.com

Instagram : http://www.instagram.com/imrzahid/

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Oman for Photographers

Note: For customized photography tour in Oman, please check out my post ‘Photography tour in Oman‘

If you just moved to Oman or planning to move here and you are addicted to photography as well then chances are that you are looking for places where you could satisfy your appetite for photography.

The good news is, Oman is an ideal place for photographers. Whether you are interested in Landscapes, street, culture or portraits. You will find ample amount of photographic opportunities in here. The locals here are quite friendly and you will not find any difficulty while interacting with them provided you respect their traditions and cultural values. You don’t have to worry about any Law and order insecurities as well.

I have been working here for quite some time but I started photography a little more than a year ago. During my time here I happen to visit quite a few places and I do visit them regularly to keep my photo stream up and running. For long time ,I have been thinking about making a list of places that are good for photography tours.  After a lot of brainstorming I decided to categorize my list according to type of photography and write City names against it. That list will guide anyone who is new to Oman to plan their trip in advance. Off course if you have a good eye you can get any type of images anywhere but this list is just a quick start guide for photographers who are new to Oman.It is a work in progress and I hope a lot of my friends in Oman could correct me and guide me to make this list even better and more useful.

P.S This post contains mine as well as lot of other photographer’s images . All the images have copyrights to their respective owners. I have tried to give due credit to each one of them by linking back their respective business / Facebook pages. If you don’t want your image to be included here for any reason or want to change something about it,PM me or drop a comment and I will do the necessary.

Beaches / Corniches

Oman has some of the most stunning and breathtaking beaches in the world with its coastline stretches to more than  3000 km.They are known for their purity of sand,scenic nature and sturdy surrounding rocks.If you are into seascapes, there is no better place than Oman for you 🙂 I am listing just a few well-known beaches here.

  • Yiti (Muscat)
  • Jabal e Sifah beach (Muscat)
  • PDO beach (Muscat)
  • Al Bustan Beach (Muscat)
  • Qurum beach (Muscat)
  • Qurum Corniche (Muscat)
  • Mutrah Corniche (Muscat)
  • Al Mughsail Beach (Salalah)
  • Taqah Beach (Salalah)
  • Sawadi Beach (Barkha)
  • Ras ul Hadd (Sur)
  • Ras ul Jinz (Sur)
  • Sink Hole (Sur)
  • Duqm Beach (Duqm)

Yiti by Baiju Jose
Ras ul Hadd by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Sink Hole by – Shiekh Mohammad Haris – SMH Photography
Salalah beach by Benito Hermis – 500px
Yiti by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Ras ul Hadd by Guru Acharya – Guru Acharya Photography
Qantub beach by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
PDO Beach by Benito Hermis – 500px
Mutrah Corniche by Uwe Richter
Mutrah Cornichce by Sunil S Rao – Prismphotos
Wadi Shab Sunrise by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Mutrah Corniche by Baiju Jose
Bandar Khairan by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Albustan beach by Uwe Richter
Yiti by Baiju Jose
Fire in the sky by Shades Photography

Mountains and Wadis(valleys)

After seasides and beaches , if there is one thing that definitely draws your attention are the beautiful Wadis (valleys) and majestic mountains in Oman. You will find these almost everywhere in Oman. Some of them are totally developed into tourist attractions while others remain quite untouched in their natural state.

  • Wadi Shab (Tiwi)
  • Wadi bani Khalid (Wadi bani Khalid)
  • Wadi Arbeieen
  • Jabal e Shams (Alhamra)
  • Jabal e Akhdar (Alhamra)
  • Wakan Village (Nakhal)
  • Wadi Darbat (Salalah)
  • Marneef Cave (Salalah)
  • Wadi Dayqah Dam (Dayqah)
  • Quryat Dam (Quryaat)

Murneef Cave by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Wadi Dayqah Dam by Benito Hermis – 500px
Wadi arbaieen by Benito Hermis – 500px
Jabal Shams by Guru Acharya – Guru Acharya Photography
Wakan Village by Sunil S Rao – Prismphotos
Wadi Fanja by Uwe Richter

Architecture

Oman has given special attention to preserve its ancient and traditional values when it comes to preserving its architecture. You will observe this vary principle while visiting various mosques , forts and markets. Along with its oriental nature , you will notice that they are against high rise buildings and that is one interesting thing that sets Omani architecture apart from other Gulf states and creates its own charm.

  • Nizwa Fort (Nizwa)
  • Bahla Fort (Bahla)
  • Nakhal Fort (Nakhal)
  • Jalali Fort (Muscat)
  • Sur hanging bridge (Sur)
  • Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (Muscat)
  • Said bin Taimour Mosque (Muscat)
  • Al Ameen Mosque (Muscat)
  • Opera House (Muscat)

Zawawi Mosque by Nilesh Potdar
Grand Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Taimour Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Fort by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Opera House by Henz B Solih
Bahla Fort by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque by Henz B Solih
Taimour Mosque by Krishnakumar Omanakuttan – krishnakumar photography

Old Souqs (Markets)

Being Traditionalist in practice, Oman is  rich in culture and heritage. It has a number of sites listed in UNESCO world Cultural and heritage sites including some of the oldest souqs (markets) which includes.

  • Mutrah Souq/market (Muscat)
  • Nizwa Souq (Nizwa)
  • Matrah Fish Market (Muscat)
  • Al Hafah Souq (Salalah)
  • Sohar Handicraft Souq (Sohar)
  • Al Rustaq souq (Rustaq)

Mutrah Fish Market by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Mutrah Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Nizwa Souq by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography

Resorts

So up till now we have been looking for natural beauty in beaches , mountains, wadis and all that architecture and cultural heritage .But if you are that exotic type of person who likes to get comfortable in big resorts, Oman has a lot to offer.Below are some of the best resorts in Oman.

  • Rotana Resort (Salalah)
  • Sifawy Boutique Hotel. (Muscat)
  • Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. (Muscat)
  • Al Bustan Palace (Muscat)

Sifawy Boutique Hotel by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
Rotana Resort by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
Salalah Rotana Resort by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
AlBustan by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments

Deserts

No middle eastern country is completed without its Deserts and Oman has its fair share of Deserts too.You will find some of the exotic desert safari locations in these sand driven areas.Some of the major deserts are.

  • Wahiba Sands
  • Hema Desert

Wahiba Sands by Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
Wahiba Sands by Sunil S Rao – Prismphotos
Bidya Desert by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Bidya Desert by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography

Famous Parks & Streets

  • Qurum Park (Muscat)
  • Riyam Park (Muscat)
  • Naseem Park (alAmraat)
  • Al Sahwa Park
  • Alkhawair Street(Muscat)
  • Al Amaraat Street (Amraat)
  • Sidaab Street (Mutrah)

Alkhawair road by Nilesh Potdar
Sur Road by Imran Zahid-The Shades PhotographySilhouette-sunrise
Sidaab Street by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography
Al Sahwa Park by Nilesh Potdar
Quryaat Road by Imran Zahid-The Shades Photography

 Credits

I am thankful to following photographers at (Friday Shoot Out) FSO Muscat whose images I have used here along with mine with permission.

Krishnakumar Omanakuttan – krishnakumar photography
Prakash Wadhwani – Prakash’s Stolen Moments
Nilesh Potdar
Sunil S Rao – Prismphotos
Baiju Jose
Shiekh Mohammad Haris – SMH Photography
Benito Hermis – 500px
Guru Acharya – Guru Acharya Photography
Uwe Richter
Henz B Solih

If you have any correction or you went to some place in Oman and have amazing pics.Do send me your images and location name and I will accommodate it here.
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