Seaside Esplanade, Al Muttrah. March 2016
If in the pre-modern age, Muscat was really Oman, then Al Muttrah port was really Muscat. The port is very old and located on a fine natural harbor that faced the Gulf of Oman. In the days of tall sailing ships it was an important way-point between the East Indies Trade and the European Market. Muscat was well-placed and Al Muttrah was its heart.
These days Al Muttrah holds a few renovated old buildings as well as a cruise ship terminal. The whole seafront is fronted with a fantastic esplanade around the crescent-shaped bay. Just down the coast is the Sultan's Palace [see: Palace]. Even in the modern age, the ruler of Oman didn't want to be too far from where it all started.
My taxi driver gave me some time to explore, but it was Friday morning. That was a double-edged sword. On the plus side, the place was blissfully empty and there was very little traffic. Apparently, Al Muttrah was normally a traffic choke point where the coast road met the road toward the more modern parts of Muscat. It was a great time to take photos. However, the prime attraction, Muttrah Souq (aka, Al Dhalam Souq - "the darkness market") was mostly shut up. Even though I hated crowds, that market used to be the soul of the entire country. I was sorry I missed it in action. Omanis would journey for days to get imported goods from Al Dhalam Souq in the past. It was called the "Darkness Market" because it was so closed up between buildings and walls that even in the bright Middle Eastern sun at midday, people needed lanterns to navigate it. Such a shame to miss out on it (even if it had been renovated with electric lights), but I did at least see the entrance.
Al Muttrah was just another piece of the puzzle of visiting Muscat which was more like a collection of neighborhoods on a mountainous, crenellated coast than a traditional "city". There was no one downtown, but instead urban pockets sprinkled all over the seafront. As it turned out, My hotel was convenient to a shopping mall and the airport, but not much else. Hence, I broke down and took my "taxi" around to see the sites. Very unlike me, but then again - the choice was either to sit at a coffee shop in the modern mall near the hotel and sip latte all day or fork out some cash and see the sites. Al Muttrah was lovely, even though it was a blow-through stop. I hope I at least saw as much as the cruise ship passengers? --
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