Muscat

Capital of Oman

Muscat, Oman’s port capital, sits on the Gulf of Oman surrounded by mountains and desert. With history going back to antiquity, it mixes high-rises and upscale shopping malls with landmarks such as the 16th-century Portuguese forts, Mirani and Jalali, looming clifftop over Muscat Harbor. Its modern, marble-clad Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with gleaming 50m dome and prodigious Persian carpet, can accommodate 20,000 people.