Day 77 of 111. Nakhl, Oman

We visited two popular tourist spots in Oman: the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Nakhl Fort.

The first stop was the Mosque in the city of Muscat which was a gift to the City/Country by the Sultan and the only Mosque open for visitors. I can’t tell you in words how beautiful this is with the tall teak wood doors and intricate designs everywhere. The carpet in the main prayer hall was woven in one solid piece. The chandeliers are huge and entirely made of Swarovski crystals! The way they sparkled was breathtaking and the photo simply does not do it justice. We were required to remove our shoes during our tour. As this is an Islamic country, women needed to have their head covered as well as their arms and legs. Both sexes needed to cover any tattoos before they were allowed to enter. The site is not only a place of worship but a religious school and library. Our guide “Al” showed us the proper way of washing before entering for prayers.

Our second stop (about one hour outside of Muscat) was at the Nakhl oasis. This is the location of a fort that was used in the past to guard the trade route that came through the area. One of a rooms was used to store dates from the local trees. They served as food for the garrison but the sap that was generated by the dates while in storage was collected in jars, heated to boiling, and used as a weapon against in attackers.

While on the way to Nakhl we passed by the Sultan’s camel farm. He raises camels for racing. The race track is located just behind his farm. Betting is not allowed on the races as this is an “honor” to win.