Wednesday April 20, 2016 – In Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman. As we entered the harbour, we passed the old quarter where the Sultan’s Palace and guest house are located and into the U shaped Port Sultan Qaboos in Muttrah that serves Muscat. A sharp turn to Starboard, took us into the berth by the quayside of the Omani commercial port. QM2 is the largest vessel that arrives in the port and makes an impression on the local residents. The Port side of the ship faces the town. The first impression was one that sheer rocky Al Hajar mountains rise up from the water with only a small sliver of usable land between the water and the steep mountains. The cove type atmosphere is spectacular and the 10 minute shuttle bus takes one to restaurants and the most amazing bazar / Souk / Market that we have seen. The main part of the capital city is over the mountains and some miles away.
Oman, an Islamic State, has a population of 5 Million (1.7 million foreigners, many from India and Pakistan who come to work on construction) and is a little larger in area than Italy (population density is 2.83 people per Sq mile vs UK at 91.1). Since 1970, it has been ruled by the Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It borders Yemen to the South as well as Saudi Arabia, UAE and the Arabian Sea and only 0.12% of the land is arable. The Omani civilisation dates back thousands of years with the earliest known settlements in Dhofar, where our next port – Salalah is located, dating to 12th century BC. Recent history dates to the father of the current ruler, Sultan Said bin Taimur who in 1932 took over the country then known as Muscat and Oman. He ruled with an iron fist and there was little contact with the outside world. A rebellion in the Muscat region was put down with the reluctant aid of the British with whom the rulers had an agreement since the late 19th century. Additional rebellions with the aid of Yemen, who wanted to take over the oil fields in the South was again put down, but it became apparent that as the economy tanked and the country was in a shambles, it was time for a radical change. Taimur suffered a bloodless coup by his son, and Qaboos has ruled well since the coup on July 23rd, 1970. Qaboos was born November 18, 1940 and he is the only openly Gay ruler in the Middle East and thus at the age of 75, has no children as successors. He was educated in England and attended the Military Academy at Sandhurst, assigned to a military regiment in Germany and after studying British government, returned to Oman to take over as ruler. Good relations exist with the U.K. and US as well as neighbouring Arab states and the progress under his rule can be seen in the life expectancy which over the last 30 years has increased form 47 in 1970 to 69 for men and 73 for women today.
When we disembarked, we were greeted with the usual row of coaches, each with the guide, all dressed in white long robes and round hats. We found our coach, driver Abdullah and excellent guide Said, a student who guides in his free time and did an excellent job. Driving is on the Right hand side and the temp was 35C (95F) but with low humidity (RH = 25%). Although temperatures can vary from a hot 50C in the summer to 15C in the winter, with some places in the North getting down to freezing 0C (32F) and last year there was even snow, much to the joy of the local population who had not experienced the phenomena. There were hurricanes that hit in 2007 and 2009 causing death and destruction, but no earthquakes. As we drove from the Port up and through the mountains to the Capital of Muscat we were impressed that it was extreemly clean, all the buildings were white or cream and no residence can be over 4 floors and commercial buildings have a height restriction of 14 floors. It is the second largest country of this Middle East region after Saudi Arabia. Said, the guide was very open and is the only guide we have come across that showed us his underwear! He explained the long white robes and then showed us a sheet like cloth worn under the cloak that goes to the ankles, and is worn as underwear. He explained that if you work for the government you have to wear turbans, but in the private sector one can wear the usual round hats, which in his case, his mother had made for him and took her 6 months to do the embroidery. On the outside white robe a braided tassel is around the neck on which is placed perfume, to have the pleasant smell all day. The ladies wear the long black robes with head covering when out of the house, but both men and women wear regular shorts, shirts etc inside their homes. However we noticed that many women and men did not wear the traditional long Blank and white robes in the streets. The guide explained that in Islam a man is permitted to have 4 wives so that greater procreation is achieved. He explained that his father had 2 wives and he had 7 sisters and 4 brothers who collectively had 43 children. He was not married and informed us that the Dowry of US$35,000 or more plus the wedding for 800 to 1500 guests was to be paid by the prospective husband. Marriages used to be arranged, but are now of free will with women allowed to reject the offer with no problems, and can even marry without parents permission. Divorce is permitted, but the rare is at 3%. 65% of the economy is driven by Oil, with tourism still relatively in its infancy and trade / commerce being the other major part of the economic engine that drives the country. All the usual western restaurants – McDonald’s, KFC, Papa John’s Pizza etc are to be found all over. A new airport is under construction that will handle 35 million passengers a year as well as a railway system connecting the country. It is a welfare state with the youth, disabled and out of work locals being supported by the government, which can lead to many being somewhat lazy. The local currency OMR Omani Reales is stronger than the US dollar and indeed 2.65 US dollars equal 1 OMR. Average salaries run about US$1,500 a month.
As we approached our first stop – The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque built between 1995 and 2001, Said, the guide explained the 5 pillars of Islam (Mohamed messenger of God, Pray 5 times a day, tithing for charity, Fast in Ramadan and Mecca pilgrimage once in life). Although the Mosque is closed on Friday’s and indeed most Mosques do not permit entry to non Muslims, but we were allowed entry into this Grand Mosque which holds 15,000 worshippers provided it was prior to 11 AM. Grand it certainly is, we were speechless when we saw the place. As we lined up to enter, we were divided into two queues, men on one side and women on the other. The men then entered single file and were duly reviewed by 2 male guards to determine if we were appropriately dressed. One of the party was refused entry for wearing shorts, despite many announcements and clear indications in the programme. Next the women filed in, this time there were two women who acted as the fashion police! Arm, head and leg covering was needed and all entered. A vast entry area with grass trees and marble walkways surrounded by the high walls and minaret towers was the first “wow” impression of the place. It was truly spectacular and many pictures were taken. However this was only the beginning and more was to come. We then wandered through the grounds admiring the water features, gardens, towers and niches for some 15 minutes before reaching the first building. After shoe removal and placement in mahogany pigeon holes for shoes, we entered the prayer room for the ladies through the spectacularly carved wooden doors in the portico with a dozen tubular shaped ceiling chandeliers . Inside the 12 chandeliers hanging each holding 18 bulbs in upturned glass hurricane lamp glass structures. Gave the room a nice clear light. These were hung from the carved wooden ceiling and lit up the room with its spectacular wall to wall Persian carpet and walls that were ornately incised. No icons or other religious motifs are present, but the room was very impressive. Blue, green and white stained glass windows were above the doors and there were niches at the 10 entrances (5 each side) holding Q’urans. We were then led out of the women’s prayer room past courtyards and archways – all in polished marble and sandstone and standing some 30 feet, which were also stunning. Planted gardens, large arche, porticos, structures and open space seemed to be the key elements of the grounds, together with water features. We carried our shoes and placed them in new mahogany pigeon holes, this time outside the men’s prayer hall. If the women’s hall was impressive it paled in comparison to the spectacle we were seeing. Where does one start to describe the impressiveness of the vast space? The central chandelier, weighs 20 tons and has a 45 feet drop. All together there are 35 gold plated metal chandeliers each with Mosque dome shaped crystal holders for the numerous lights. The wall to wall Persian carpet took 600 women 4 years to make, is 230 ft X 200 ft and weighs 21 tons. The walls are filled with Q’uran niches and the 4 columns that hold up the roof have to be 8 feet in diameter. The large niche where the Imam stands to lead prayers has a secret side door exclusively for the Sultan and Imam. It is all decorated in blue and gold tiles, as is the “pulpit” where the Imam gives the sermon, next to the niche. Other than the intricate carved walls, gorgeous tiles and script writing imbedded in the decor, there is no iconography, statues or religious symbols. Gold, blue, yellow and extensive intricate stone carvings are everywhere and play with the senses, to exude wonder and amazement. The guide showed us all around and gave us a lot of insight into the Mosque, even chanting some verses of the Q’uran (in Arabic) for us. Apparently it was delivered to the Prophet Mohammed (who was illiterate) over many years and thus the belief is that it is the “updated” word of God (from the Bible, Torah and other religious texts from earlier centuries). We were all amazed and spent some 30 minutes admiring the building before retrieving our shoes, walking through other courtyards and hallways before going to the separate male and female ablution rooms. This is where all who come to pray, have to go first to wash their hands, face, head, arms and feet (each three times) before going to prayers. Open floor sinks / troughs with taps on the wall and benches to sit are used for the ritual cleaning of the body. If anything, like passing wind, or use of a bathroom happens between ablution and prayer, the individual has to return to the open wash room to repeat the ritual washing. The guide was brilliant and performed the ritual for us to observe and photograph. We were able to use the toilets, which are holes in the floor with places to put one’s feet on either side of the hole and squat. It was now time to go to another area of the Mosque where we were served dates, cool water and ginger tea by volunteer ladies, dressed in what we would consider nun’s habits. One very nice lady originally from Africa, but lived in Oman 35 years and spoke perfect English was very open to discuss and answer any questions we asked on women’s issues (women can basically do anything a man can do, but not in Politics or being an Imam), or anything else. She gave us a Q’uran and some other literature and we finally had to leave, sadly as she was fascinating to chat with. Given that the guide was so open, I quietly asked him (one on one) “Muslims are allowed in Churches, but why are non Muslims usually prohibited from entering Mosques”? – An unsatisfactory answer was given – “Some of the old people may not understand it and cause problems”, but I did not press the subject. As we wandered out through the gardens and archways, we remained in awe of the structure and admired the serenity of this holy place for Muslims. I’ll post pictures later which will give all a better idea, but one can never capture being present in this sort of a building.
We continued our drive through the city and headed back to the coast and Mutrah, to the Souk (market) in the harbour. We could easily see our ship, the super yacht of the Sultan in the light tan colour and the bus stops each under gold domes. Not all women wore the burka, but many did and traditionally men’s clothing is white robes and women’s is black robes. Also in the bay are the old forts of Mutrah (in the town) and Al Mirani and Al Jalali (guarding the nearby old part of town) built by the Portuguese in the late 16th century. The souk was fascinating but overcrowded with tourists. We did see and experience the overwhelming smell of Frankincense and Myrrh emanating from the mini charcoal burners in shops. Oman is noted for its Frankinsens which is the sap of a tree, dried and made into pellets. There are three types – black, white and green. The black is the least refined and the white is the usual one used for incense. The most expensive – green Frankincense however is not usually burned, but rather eaten, like chewing gum, or placed in water overnight to dissolve and the “tea” drunk in the morning. All this is to help purify the intestinal system. Myrrh on the other hand is not sap from the trunk of a tree, rather it is the root that contains sap, is brown in colour and is also used as incense. The shopkeeper opens a tin of Amber (yellow dried sap), together with tins of the other two and proclaimed – Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh! We had to take a picture! We wandered through the market and saw all the amazing merchandise, threatening to return in the afternoon when we had free time. Time was up and the Bait al Baghdad museum was our next stop. Around the exterior, was a model Bedoin tent / encampment and a model village with running water, which together with the modern painted papier-mâché goats at the entrance, was all that could be photographed. However the museum hold a great deal of important archaeological artefacts dating back thousands of years as well as an eclectic mix of pottery, clothing, stamps and other historical Omani artefacts. It was well presented and very interesting, but, as is often the case – too short a time to see it all.
The final stop was the Sultan’s Palace in the Old City which we could see from the outside only. The guest house where he puts up visitors and friends, is vast and lavish, but his residence is comaritavely modest. Both overlooking the private harbour of the old town were visible from the ship as we sailed in and out. We did however see the front gate, “teacup” like pulpit structure on the wall of the palace where the Sultan addresses the gathered crowds and the vast area where parades and throngs of onlookers can gather when there is a major event. Gardens and smaller palaces for additional members of the Royal family live. The Ministry of Finance building is set just outside the walls of the moated palace. It was an impressive place and my guess it that it could easily handle a crowd of 100,000 – 200,000 people for an event. We did our photographs, then returned to the coach and ship. We returned to our cabins to leave packages and tour stuff and then returned by shuttle bus into town. Unfortunately Tachy’s leg was not in good shape after all the walking and she remained behind on the ship to rest her leg in a raised position. Diana, Nelson and Roger then took the shuttle (officially the “Muskat on your Own”tour, due to taxi union issues), but were amused that we had to get off the coach at the port authority building, walk through the empty building which would normally have immigration and security, and then return to take our seats on the coach which had driven around the building!!!! Our first stop was a lunch place where we sat outside overlooking the souk on one side and the bay on the other. We were not sure exactly what we ordered, but vegetable spring rolls, followed by a trio of meats (was one camel, we wondered) cut off a large spit shih-kebab (like tacos al pastor in Mexico), a plate of hummus and a tall (1 1/2 foot glass on mango juice arrived. Pita bread was brought and a delicious meal enjoyed. We were then able to penetrate into the far reaches of the souk with only a few locals around. It was a totally different feeling from the morning. One or two foreigners could be seen besides ourselves, but the vast majority of the relatively small crowd, were locals out for a shopping trip. An amazing experience and ended up making a few purchases, while absorbing Francinsense incense smell on our clothes which lasted well into the night. It was now time to return to the ship, see how Tachy’s leg was doing and watch the beautiful sunset and sail away with a bite of dinner.
Now comes the unfortunate part – As we returned to the ship we caught the last words of the Captain taking about contagion and stricter measures. Tachy and later the captain in written form, filled us in on what was happening. Apparently, at the prior port – Dubai, someone got onto the ship with a virus, which started to spread amongst the guests. This Norovirus produces violent stomach aches, nausea and diarrhoea for 36 to 48 hours. We saw the measures at dinner, where all food and drink in the cafeteria had now to be served by waiters with no helping yourself so as to prevent the spread by people touching the same serving utensil. The gelatinous, alcohol hand sanitizer is now everywhere and its use mandatory prior to and after all activity involving the use of hands, eating holding the handrail, bathrooms etc., and frequent hand washing critical. Those affected are quarantined to their cabins and the doctor will visit, no visiting the hospital / clinic on board. Apparently there were some 50 cases found in the first 24 hours. This does not seem good, but we hope all will go well and that we will be spared. The four of us are fine and hopefully will remain that way. However, another great day, with lots of fun activities in Muscat and we look forward to our next port of call Salalah, Oman after 1 sea day.
Roger & Anne Travels 