Sunday, April 5, 2009

Muscat, Oman

                                                        Beautiful day at the beach! 
If you look closely enough you can see there is an island out there. You gotta look really close!
Boats and ships right off the corniche in Muscat. The smaller wooden ones are known as dhows and have been used in Oman for many centuries. The main use for them in the beginning was to transport goods. But nowadays they even offer cruises along on the coast to tourists. 
I thought this photo was pretty cool... you got the beach, buildings and mountains all in one shot. This was taken right outside the Mutrah Souq. A souq or souk is a market, typically you find vendors that sell silver, textiles, spices, and perfumes. 
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the main attractions in Muscat. The main prayer hall, which is designated for men only, can hold over 6,500 worshipers, while the women's prayer hall can only hold approximately 750 worshipers.