Tourism in Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is a beautiful country in Southwest Asia with extensive coastline stretching along the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. The country is bounded by United Arab Emirates in the northwest, saudi Arabia in the west and Yemen in the southwest. Oman is a place of great tourist attraction where modernity is perfectly blended with antiquity and traditions. Sky touching high rises with vibrant shopping malls; restaurants and water sports facilities attract today's modern tourists. Others interested in exploring the historical riches of the country can visualize numerous ancient towns and monuments littered in various places of the country. Plethora of mosques situated in every nook and corner of the country bring out the love for Islamic religion of the Omanis.
Major Cities:
Muscat is the capital city of Oman. Other major cities are Salalah, Sohar,Nizwa and Sur. Muscat in the Mintaqah area with tree lined streets parks is the cultural and commercial center of Oman. Mutrah and Ruwi are the major districts of Muscat. Mutrah in the north west of Muscat is a port area. The city of Salalah, lies in southern Oman in the province of Dhofar. Famed for its fragrances and natural beauty the city is a popular tourist destination. The lush green countryside with the majestic al Qar mountain, frankincense trees offers a magical picturesque vista. The beaches facilitate great adventure sports like snorkeling and scuba diving. Salalah is also renowned for its various antique sites like ruins of Queen Sheba's Palace and the shelter of the biblical prophet Job. Sohar in the Al Batinah region of Oman is said to be the birthplace of Sindbad the sailor. It attracts the tourists for its stunning natural beauty and numerous archaeological sites. The city boasts of the tallest mountain in Oman, Jebel Akhdar or Green Mountain. There are many gullies in Sohar namely Wadi Hibi, Wadi Ahin and Wadi Al-Jizzi. Nizwa locatd in the center of Oman was the ancient capital of Oman. The city is picturesque with palm-fringed beaches. The city prides of many historic buildings and forts. The old and new souks or markets offer excellent shopping opportunities. Sur is a capital city of Ash Sharqiyah Region in the north east of Oman. It was a major port city renowned for ship building in the early times. The vessels were used in sea faring trades mainly between