Muscat

Muscat

Muscat is an ancient port city where centuries of trade, culture, and hospitality meet modern living—offering a timeless experience shaped by history, sea, and tradition.

Muscat

Muscat is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Arabian Peninsula, with a history that stretches back thousands of years due to its strategic location along ancient maritime trade routes linking the Arabian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. Archaeological evidence indicates that the area surrounding Muscat was settled as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, playing a vital role in the frankincense and copper trade that connected Oman to Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Mediterranean world. Over the centuries, Muscat developed into a prominent port city and a key centre of regional commerce and diplomacy.

Muscat’s rich cultural heritage reflects the layered influences of Arab, Persian, African, and South Asian civilizations, shaped by centuries of trade, seafaring, and foreign contact. The city became an important stronghold during the Portuguese period in the 16th century before emerging as the political and administrative heart of Oman under the Al Bu Saʿid dynasty. Modern Muscat evolved rapidly following the accession of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970, transforming into a contemporary capital while preserving its historic forts, traditional neighbourhoods, and deep-rooted cultural identity. Today, Muscat stands as a unique blend of heritage and modernity, embodying Oman’s role as a bridge between cultures, continents, and maritime worlds