I returned to Doha on October 14, 2013, and got to see Stephen's new apartment. It is much nicer than the hotel and I look forward to spending the next few weeks here. But since Stephen had some days off due to the Eid Holiday, we departed from Doha and flew to Muscat, Oman, on Wednesday morning. We had been looking for a place to visit and originally thought of Prague or Bangkok, but then decided that these were too far away for a short holiday and decided to visit some place much closer, but so many of the places nearby are in such turmoil. I would have loved to visit Greece or Istanbul, but there is so much negative news about unrest and violence in these cities that we were afraid to go at this time. So we chose a city very nearby that everyone who has been there told us is one of the most beautiful in the Middle East - Muscat, Oman. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine touring in the Middle East as we are doing, but I find the places and the people and the cultures fascinating and beautiful. If you are wondering just where Muscat, Oman is, here is a link to a map:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vacationstogo.com/images/ports/maps/367_w.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.vacationstogo.com/cruise_port/Muscat__Oman.cfm&h=613&w=700&sz=62&tbnid=u9mT0FzkZ3kSlM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=106&zoom=1&usg=__CuTzCl57FDY9LkV5JU0jTXgYWP0=&docid=GZq7rhbim54uSM&sa=X&ei=w61jUuXQN-eh0QW34oHoCQ&ved=0CHAQ9QEwBQ
Reading about the city of Muscat before arriving, I learned that unlike Doha and Dubai, Muscat is a very old city due to the very deep harbor; one source said it is one of the deepest in the world. The location is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder and there is evidence that people have lived here since the sixth millennium BCE. Because the port or harbor is so highly desirable, the city was conquered by the Persians (the Sasanian Empire) in the third century CE, and by the Portuguese led by Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1507. Once he conquered the city, he slaughtered most of the remaining residents, men, women and children. The Portuguese then occupied the port city for a century, but were repeatedly challenged by Persia and then bombarded by the Turks in 1546. The city was fought over by the Turks, the Persians, the Portuguese and the Omani people over the decades, but the Portuguese were finally defeated in 1650 by the Omanis.
Because of this history of struggle, the city has many ancient forts that can be seen in contrast to the gleaming white architecture of the more modern city. One of our cab drivers told us that all cab drivers in Muscat are Omani men, and they are proud of their city and show their enthusiasm for their home in their conversations with visitors. In Doha and Dubai, cab drivers are typically from someplace other than Qatar or UAE.
Maybe because the city has such a long and proud history, the town feels much more settled and calm than Doha. We were there for the Eid al-Adha - the feast of the sacrifice- an important holiday in the Islamic faith commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, and Allah's intervention to spare the son and provide a lamb to slaughter instead. So, among Muslims, the Eid is a celebration of children and family, and everywhere we went, people were in a festive mood and kept greeting us with the expression - Eid Mubarek - we think it is an equivalent greeting to Merry Christmas.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vacationstogo.com/images/ports/maps/367_w.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.vacationstogo.com/cruise_port/Muscat__Oman.cfm&h=613&w=700&sz=62&tbnid=u9mT0FzkZ3kSlM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=106&zoom=1&usg=__CuTzCl57FDY9LkV5JU0jTXgYWP0=&docid=GZq7rhbim54uSM&sa=X&ei=w61jUuXQN-eh0QW34oHoCQ&ved=0CHAQ9QEwBQ
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| This is a typical view of the houses and architecture found throughout the city |
Reading about the city of Muscat before arriving, I learned that unlike Doha and Dubai, Muscat is a very old city due to the very deep harbor; one source said it is one of the deepest in the world. The location is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder and there is evidence that people have lived here since the sixth millennium BCE. Because the port or harbor is so highly desirable, the city was conquered by the Persians (the Sasanian Empire) in the third century CE, and by the Portuguese led by Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1507. Once he conquered the city, he slaughtered most of the remaining residents, men, women and children. The Portuguese then occupied the port city for a century, but were repeatedly challenged by Persia and then bombarded by the Turks in 1546. The city was fought over by the Turks, the Persians, the Portuguese and the Omani people over the decades, but the Portuguese were finally defeated in 1650 by the Omanis.
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| This is a part of Old Muscat. We tried to climb up to the fort, but the stairs are blocked off. |
Maybe because the city has such a long and proud history, the town feels much more settled and calm than Doha. We were there for the Eid al-Adha - the feast of the sacrifice- an important holiday in the Islamic faith commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, and Allah's intervention to spare the son and provide a lamb to slaughter instead. So, among Muslims, the Eid is a celebration of children and family, and everywhere we went, people were in a festive mood and kept greeting us with the expression - Eid Mubarek - we think it is an equivalent greeting to Merry Christmas.
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