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Oman

Pass through Ajman, the smallest of the Emirates - Enter Oman via the panoramic coastal road overlooking the Gulf of Arabia and the Straits of Hormuz. Destination is Khasab, local Capital of the Governorate of Musandam. "The Norway of Arabia".

This Peninsula is completely separated from the main body of Oman by a stretch of land belong to the UAE. This area has a distinct language dialects and cultural mores. The peninsula has remained isolated from the rest of Arabia and is still very remote.

Area is sparsely populated by the Shihuh tribe. They have been carving an existence from the seas. Some villages can only be accessed by boat.

Hotel Atana - Khasab, Oman

Early morning vistas

Very arid country

Entrance to the Portuguese Fort of Khasab Museum

Home sweet home years ago for the men

Classic Bathroom sign for Men and Women

Ornate local homes

Decorations on homes

Decoration of the Sultan of Oman on a home

The home from a distance

Luxurious Home in Khasab

Tile works showing Dhows on the side of a home

Downtown Khasab

Local Mosque

Homes built above the dry river bed

Homes built high up from an aroyo away from rushing water during rainy periods

Hieroglyphics carved centuries ago into the rock

Thousands of years old

Talk about isolation

I like the sign on the building

Travel group boarding a Dhow for a leisurely ride on the Arabian Sea. Motored toward Musandam's longest and most spectacular fjord "Norway of the Arabia".

I could get used to this life....Very Easily!

Other Dhow boats in the harbor

Captain Ahmed and crewman

Captain Ahmed - Does he not look like a movie star?

Running boats used for illegal trips to Iran

Speed boats used for illegal trading

Another fast boat most likely used for illegal trading with Iran

Dhow boat with other tourists on board

Tranquility

Oman has a population of over 3,000,000 living in a country of over 117,000 Square miles. Most people live in Muscat , the capital on the Indian Ocean.

Rock Strata

Local village only accessible by boat

Talk about isolation

Great snorkeling location. I spend the whole time in the clear warm water

Jim and a new Omani friend

Another Dhow near us snorkeling

Good time swimming and snorkeling between boats in the lagoon

Looking through above the bow of the boat and the scenery

Local village isolated against the mountains

Solitude on the water

Beautiful rock formations

Who knows what they are up to?

At least they are friendly

Hardworking crew on the Dhow

Ever present Police on the water

Another hotel in Khasab on the bay

Dhow pulling in a head of us

Crewman at the bow coming into port

Catching up what happened today

Tying the Dhow

Walking across Dhow to Dhow to leave the dock

Young players stopping for prayer before the game

Local neighborhood

Bay area

LuLu Hypermarket - is a Supermarket

Departing by 4-wheel drive in a Wadi.. dry river bed. Driving to a breathtaking trip to Jebel Harim (Mountain of Women)

Houses carved out of the rock formtions

Very dry terrain

We reach a height of 6,250 feet on the Musandam Peninsula.

Driver of our 4 wheel Toyota - car of choice in this part of the world

Rock formations thousands of years old after multiple earthquakes

Abandoned homes 100's and 100's of years old

Another hut built into the side of the hill

Lush Bedouin Village located at 3,000 foot elevation. Village of Sayah

Wild Donkeys

Fossils in the rocks thousands of years old

Incredible fossils

Vistas go on forever

Roads were trecherous

Familes were actually living here

Remains of an accident

Lots of Earthquake activity through the years

We stopped to admire the grand panorama from the view point Khawr Najid overlooking the Indian Ocean

Our three drivers for our 4 wheel Toyota Land Cruisers

I was his Navigator... we barely made it

One of the Oil fields

Look beyond the Oil Field in the foreground and you will see a long piece of flat concrete and concrete with an inverted V. This is a private Military training Range for long range Weapons Firing Range

Hydrofoil coming in that we took to Muscat through the Straights of Hurmoz

Inside there were several classes of service. One for First Class,, One class for women and children and one solely for Men only. During the 5 hour crossing the men went to the rear platform to Pray for Noon time Prayers.

Yes another fast boat headed to Iran for illegal items brought back into Oman

Car and Truck Ferry under the main areas

The hydrofoil leaves daily from Khasab on the Arabian Sea to Muscat on the Indian Ocean through the Straights of Hormuz.

Port of Muscat

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Entrance. I have no idea what I captured in the photo with the white feature. There was nothing in the hallway when I took the photo. That is really strange.

Our local guide Masoud in Musacat. Note the white ghost like figure to the left rear. In real time without the camera this object did not appear to the naked eye. ????

Entrances to the grounds of the Grand Mosque

The grounds were spectacular

Men have a separate Prayer rooms from the women

The chandeliers were spectacular

Each section of the massive Prayer rug is for an individual male to pray.

The money that is spent on these large Mosques is hard to fathom.

Our Omani guide is Masoud Bin Nasser Bin Juma Al-Maskey in Muscat and the surrounding area for 5 days. He was excellent

The angles within these buildings against the stark blue sky make them stand out even more

The tile work is finite to detail

Mandatory Prayers daily 5 times a day. Fajr Prayer - Dawn Prayer Zuhr Prayer - Noon Prayer Asr Prayer - 3rd Prayer Maghrib Prayer - Just after sunset Prayer Isha Prayer - night time Prayer

Looking straight up at the chandelier inside the main area

The size of the chandelier is amazing the way they are placed in the main area

The carpet

Intricate work

Masoud has very striking Omani features. We learned so much about Oman through his insights.

Beautiful stained glass in the main Mosque

Can you imagine what this must look like when it is full?

Beautiful stained glass windows

Masoud showing us the Koran

Capacity is 20,000 persons

Ornateness everywhere

Second largest hand-loomed carpet in the world. It took 600 women 4 years to weave

Prayer ritual is the same 5 times a day in all the Muslim world. Masoud is showing us first you must wash your hands

Thoroughly wash your face

Wash each arm carefuly

Wash each foot separately

Wash the lower leg separately each

And the other foot and lower leg. This procedure is done FIVE TIMES daily.

View of the Sultan Qaboos Great Mosque

Fountains

Garden and Mosque

Visit to the local fish market

Great variety of fresh caught fish.

All fish are caught fresh daily

Cutting up the fresh catch to sell

They had lots of customers. It was quite crowded

Bargaining for fish

Sultan bin Said al Said - name of his ship Al Said

3 women walkling along the Cornish in the heat

Mattrah Souq located across the street from the bay in Muscat

If you cannot find it here forget it.

There was so much it was hard to see what was really there

I ultimately purchased a Khanjar "Knife" but in another store

Hats for the men to cover their heads

Outdoor lunch area mostly for tourists close to the Souq.

Muscat is made up of 3 separate towns plus several associated towns.

Al Bustan Palace Hotel - Muscat Inside an incredible hotel

Bayt al-Zubair Museum

Traffic with a Dohw in the forground and the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in backdrop

Visited a home with children Sidab Women's Sewing Group. A non profit community group inspired and run by local women. Helps women from the fishing village to develop sewing and handicraft skills to help them earn income.

Cute little guy

Al Alam Palace means the flag in arabic. One of 6 residences of the Sultan Qaboos

Palace is Oman's most Flamboyant example of contemporary Islamic design. Contains two long wings, central is the flat roof cube like building.

More annex buildings

Coat of arms at the front gate

Intricate work on the front gate

Incredible tall columns on the side buildings

Same hydrofoil we came in the day before at arrival location

Muscat traffic with feltive holiday decorations for a local holiday

Brimmah Sinkhole or Hiwiyat Najim, Dabad Sinkhole. A giant depression where sea water has merged with fresh water. Two flights of steps take you down to a dazzling pool of blue and green water.

Masoud explaining the area Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi

Wadi - lush areas with streams and fauna.

Painted on the bridge support is the Sultan of Oman

Natural gas fields in Oman

Major Gas fields of Oman

Visiting a boat yard where Dhows are made today

Port of Sur - Sur was an important port in ancient times, especially when trading with East Africa. Merchants made fortunes from the trade in slaves and cloves and used the profits to build elaborate houses.

Working on a Dhow

Pool at Sur Plaza Hotel in Sur.. These are kids are local that were permitted to come and use the pool.

Old town of Sur

Beautiful tranquil location on the water

Men getting together to socialize in the shade of the morning sun

Group of local village ladies relaxing on the waters edge

Dhow shipyard

Sur's historical imporant is based on the building of dhows. These vessels were used to sail to India and other countries from Sur.

Workers in the water working on the Dkhows

The old town of Sur

New to the Middle East are the pastel colors of the robe or dishdasha worn by the men. Masoud was wearing light blue, light yellow and other colors.

Sultan Qaboos in tile on this local home

The house with tile work of the Sultan Qaboos on the front of the house

Workers working on the dhows in the water at low tide

Head to the Omani desert for a desert camp experience

Gas is used for cooking and refrigeration: paraffin lamps and candles provide light.

Peaceful place to relax and experience authentic desert nights.

General meeting area and entertainment in the evening

Our desert camp

Love this photo.. the two types of desert transportation

4 Wheel driving over the sand dunes.. wooo hoooo!

The strong winds cover your tire marks in seconds

In the middle of the blowing sand you find civilization and a home

Sunset with the blowing sands

The blowing sands are like oceans of sand

The dunes are constantly changing

Trying to stand vertical is a challenge into the wind

The sun setting into the desert dunes

Within seconds of driving over the sand your path is lost to the oceans of sand blowing

The Camp

Desert camp home sweet home

Heather with our group ready for the desert oasis dinner and entertainment

Local entertainment

Listening to the rhythms of the desert music

The gathering tent for music and tea

Our driver and Masoud catching up on the internet and texts... same around the world desert or mountains.

Our Drivers waiting in the shade avoiding the heat of the day ahead

In route we stop at Ibra the locals hold a Women's Market for Bedouins from the surrounding Shanrqiya Sands.

This is the only Souq in all of Oman that lends itself totally to the needs of women.

A dusty square, normally filled with camels, goats and other animals turns into a bustling area where brisk business is done by women clad in exotic traditional costumes.

There is a community atmosphere in the air where the women chat, work and sell while their children amuse themselves with the wares.

Living within a close radius are over 3,000 pastoral Bedouins belonging to different tribes, who are primarily herders of goats and camels.

Traffic in Ibra

We stop by the home and farm of Masoud, our local guide. His family brothers and sisters all live in close proximity. They refer many times to themselves as their tribes.

Here we find Masoud with his niece.

We are treated to tea and dried fruits. Very tasty.

Jabreen Castle

Jabreen Castle was built as a defensive stronghold. Forts and castles are Oman's most striking cultural landmarks and have historically been used as defensive bastions or look-out points.

There are over 500 forts, castles and towers in Oman.

Built were Castles with Dungeons, passages, rooms and ceilings decorated with fine carvings and paintings.

This castle is distinguished by inscriptions and frescoes that adorn its rooms. Built were Castles with Dungeons, passages, rooms and ceilings decorated with fine carvings and paintings.

Fertile ground surround the Fort.

Great place to relax leaning on the canon

Our driver to the left and a friend at the entrance to the Fort.

Jabreen Castle from a distance

Countryside near Jabreen Castle

Lobby of the Golden Tulip Nizwa Hotel in Nizwa

Driving in Nizwa

Nizwa Souq

Negotiating

Waitng for customers outside the souq

Selling specialty Candy

Candy store in the Souq

Spices

Sewing machine repair

Khanjars for sale. I purchased one

Talking over the important problems of the world

Talking over the important problems of the world

Looking down thousands of feet

Just a few thousand feet straight down a village

From above

Village of Misfat Al Abriyeen. A village of fascinating history, agriculture and falaj watering system

Bringing in the crops

Walking around the Village of Misfat Al Abriyeen

Don't you wish you knew the history of this door and the people who have walked through it though the past 100's of years

That is what I call a Pot Hole

Walking around the mysteries of this village

Yes there are still people living in this village in its present condition today

We meet a local

Laura our tour guide is talking with him along with our Omani guide.

He is explaining some of the history of Misfat Al Abriyeen

Nearby town shut down for afternoon prayer

Pool at the Golden Tulip Niswaw Hotel. It felt great to do laps after a long dry hot day

Weekly Livestock Market Nizwa

This was one of the most interesting parts of any trip I have taken. I was allowed to walk round, throughout the auction taking photos with no one objecting.

Just looking at all the faces, Kaftan or Gandora, robe attire for men., Keffias, head gear and multitude of interesting faces it was fascinating. Men also wear Keffiyehs or head gear or we call it a hat. Each style represents a different tribe or family. The women wear a Hijab to cover their heads and all hair.

I was able to spend over an hour walking in and around the auction

The goats or animals are walked in a circle around the auction for all to see and then bid on.

As you can see there are many things all going on at the same time.

Convincing the buyer he should buy this particular goat

Interested buyer

This is the real Oman. A true cross section of the country

What do you think? Should we buy or let it go?

Seasoned buyer

Checking out the goat. Interested buyer

Looks like a double sale - a two for

Young buyer

Checking out the product

Young generation - a serious buyer

Check out the goats reproductive organs??? make sure it is good for mating

Look of determination and concentration

A woman buyer

Women buyers - During the entire trip this was the only time I saw women dressed in colors and with the facial coverups too. Totally different. Ladies of the world.. take note...

Take note..this fashion could be coming to your favorite dress shop

Giving some advice

Think I stood out??? This hour at the market auction was absolutely one of the most interesting items I have been able to participate in recent years in all the travels. I took a total of over 200 photos during the hour. An incredible experience.

Purchased animals ready for transport

Young boys selling birds

In a different patio area Muscat Guns for sale at an open market. It is tempting to buy one except getting the paper work together to import it into the US today would be almost impossible. What paperwork?

I would have loved to buy some of this

Khanjars for sale too. Knives. I proudly have my own Khanjar I purchased in Oman

The work on these Khanjars is incredible and so was the high asking prices

The proper way to wear a Khanjar

He was not happy having his photo taken

These were some really detailed Khanjars. So were the prices... high

It was surprising to see how much they sold in a short period of time.

I like the sign hanging on the back wall.. Food Stuff Sale

Repairing old Singer Sewing Machines

Ran across a runing club from Muscat that were running from the bottom of an extreme mountain base to the top. The road was a narrow dirt road with many sheer cliffs to be navigated. They ran Up the mountain.

Muscat Road Runners

This was the best part of the road. At the top.

We headed out on this trip in four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruisers

Some one actully lives here today

That is another village where people live today

An Oasis in the mountains

We are not even half way down the hill. Remember the running club ran this Up the hill.

Balad Sayt Village with a school

Life at last maybe

Still more dirt roadways down the mountain

A flat tire. We were lucky in that it was a wide place in the road.

Salalah, Oman is our last city to visit on our Middle East Trip

We are staying at the Crown Plaza Resort on the beach or Cornish

Salalah is the Capital of southern Oman's Dhofar province. It is known for its banana plantations, Arabian Sea beaches and waters teeming with sea life.

Salalah has a large expatriate community mainly from India, The majority population is Muslim Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Philippines.

The Yemen border is a little over one hour driving although there is nothing to see at the Yemen/Oman border

Lobby Crown Plaza Hotel

Sultan's Palace is next door to the Crown Plaza Hotel

Early village site of Salalah Al-Balid

Local guide

Taqah Castle

A look into Oman's past

View of the cliffs and beaches in Salalah

Sumhuram Archaeological Park

Working on the new Additional Visitor Center

Archaeology site dates from the 3rd Century B.C. to 5th A.D.

Most important pre Islamic Settlement in Dhofar Region

One of the major ports of Southern Arabia and an important conduit for the international Frankincense and Myrrh trade network.

Visitor Center

Camel Crossing

That is a hard hot job herding camels

Old cemetery with rocks

The graves are maked with just rocks and stones

Our driver with a newer generation look

All fishing boats pulled up on land in anticipation of a Cyclone that was off shore. It later hit Yemen next door. They were very lucky.

Stopped for coconut juice from the coconut

Frankincense tree

Local guide and Frankincense Tree

Frankincense is a resin from trees belonging to the Boswell family. The trees have an outer bark that peel away like parchment flakes and a greenish bark which contains the trees sap and aromatic resin.

Frankincense is called the Pearls of the desert. It is collected by making an incesion in the tree and allowing the resin to flow and harden - collecting hardened resin that has flowed naturally from the tree.

Job's Tomb

Genealogy of the Prophets

The Tomb of Job is located in the hills overlooking the city of Salalah, Oman . The hill is known as Jabal a Qar.

There was a massive Cyclone off of Salalah due to approach the city and many of the Pakistani Expatriates were afraid and fled to the mountain of Jabal a Qar near Job's Tomb.

Another new friend for Jim. This time from Pakistan. This has been an incredible exciting and memorable journey through Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Emirates and Oman. I hope that you have enjoyed viewing the photos of an incredible journey through the Middle East. Onto another new journey traveling the world. Remember Friendship Moves the World. Jim Schroder

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© 2025 Jim Schroder