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 Cultural and Traditional markets.

• 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).

Cultural and Traditional markets

1. Muttrah Souq

The word Souq in Arabic literally means market. The Muttrah Souq is perhaps one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world. It is located at the Corniche of Muttrah. It’s one of the most popular tourist attraction in Muscat. Al Dhalam Souq (Darkness in Arabic) is the local name for the Muttrah Souq. It has been named after darkness because of the crowded stalls and lanes where the sun rays do not infiltrate during the day. The shops are mainly selling gold,household goods, shoes and ready-made garments. Further inside, there is a sale of frankincense, perfume oils, fresh jasmine, and spices.

Good for: Gift items and souvenirs. Also to see local culture and traditions. The souk can be somewhat deceptive at first acquaintance: it’s a lot larger, and a lot more confusing, than you might initially suspect. You could spend many enjoyable hours here, haggling over handicrafts and attempting to make sense of the maze. Off course it’s a heaven for photography. Also locals here are accustomed to photographers so do capture some traditional and environmental portraits.

Visitor Timings : 8am-9pm everyday

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2. Muttrah Fish Market

Muttrah fish and vegetable market is an ideal place where you can start your tour as it is very close to Muttrah Souq and Corniche. While it was once upon a time an open-air bazaar with dozens of stalls, it has now been replaced by a state-of-the-art indoor complex that has modern food preservation machinery and freezers. Still if you are curious enough, you can go to the dock where actual boats come and go for fishing. You can witness that activity very early morning at the time of sunrise.

Good for: Witnessing the activity of fishermen as they arrive and go during first half of the day. You can get absolutely fresh fishes from here. There are some good restaurants nearby offering fresh sea food.Last of all, it’s a heaven for photography. Again locals here are accustomed to photographers so do capture some traditional and environmental portraits of fishermen.

Visitor Timings : from sunrise to noon.

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3. Nizwa Souq

Nizwa city is around two and a half hour drive from the capital Muscat. Nizwa is previously know as the cultural capital of Oman. So be ready to witness some of the most sought after cultural sites of Oman in Nizwa. It is quite different from Muttrah Souq. Most of the market, however, is dedicated to pottery, antiques, textiles and other paraphernalia. Nizwa is particularly famous for crafting the silver khanjar (traditional curved dagger). Nizwa has a famous Cattle market as well but it only opens on Fridays.

Good for: It is good for purchasing gift items and souvenirs. Also to to see local culture and traditions. It has a very good market for dates,vegetables and cultural clothing. Photography is a must. Be ready to take breath taking shots.

Visitor Timings: It is open daily for two trading sessions—except on Fridays, when the souq is only open in the morning. From Thursday to Saturday, things kick off at 6am. The day trade winds up at 1pm when people break for lunch and prayer. It gets going again at 4pm, and the souq stays open until 10pm.

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This post is still under construction. I am adding more cultural sites as I am getting further 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.

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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.