Oman Gallery

Climate

omangallery — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:52:36 +0000

Annual rainfall in Muscat averages 10 cm (4 in), falling mostly in January. Dhofar is subject to the southwest monsoon, and rainfall up to 64 cm (25 in) has been recorded in the rainy season from late June to October. While the mountain areas receive more plentiful rainfall, some parts of the coast, particularly near the island of Masirah, sometimes receive no rain at all within the course of a year. The climate generally is very hot, with temperatures reaching 54°C (129°F) in the hot season, from May to September.

The arrival of Islam

omangallery — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:42:15 +0000

On the advent of Islam, the faith reached Oman during the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime. The conversion of Omanis is usually ascribed to Amr ibn al-As, who visited the region by the middle of the eighth century AD. Oman was ruled by Umayyads between 661-750, Abbasids between 750-931, 932-933 and 934-967, Qarmatians between 931-932 and between 933-934, Buyids between 967-1053, Seljuks of Kirman between 1053-1154.

Al-Wust

omangallery — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:28:13 +0000

Al-Wust (المنطقة الوسطى = al-al-Wust Mintakat) – a region (Mintaka) of Oman, the second-largest, located in the central part of the country, over the Arabian Sea in the east. It borders with Saudi Arabia in the west.

Al-Wust (عمان الوسطى = uman al-Wust) is the geographical area in Oman.

Zufar

omangallery — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:06:44 +0000

Zufar (ar. ظفار; Dhofar) – A country and the largest geographic province (muhafaza) of Oman, located in the west of the country near the border with Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Has access to the Arabian Sea. Capital is located in Salali.

Buy

omangallery — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:51:31 +0000

Shall Reisemitbringsel typical:

* Incense – will be offered throughout

Coal equal to buy! Also, the incense burner are colorful and cheap.

* Krumm Daggers – are the highest in Oman adornment of men

The shopping opportunities in Oman are – compared with those in the United Arab Emirates – is far less pronounced. Yet there are also interesting in Oman shopping, especially in the area of Muscat.

* Al Fairbanks is a popular food chain with good range and belongs to the Spinneys-GruppeAußerdem there are the British chain “Safeway”.

* Muscat City Center – probably the “first address” for the European shopper

Regard! All shops closed during the lunch time, especially in summer. Some small shops have opened throughout, but usually only after sunset everything open again.

Oman Before Islam

omangallery — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:21:21 +0000

From the 6th century BC to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, Oman was controlled and/or influenced by three Iranian dynasties, the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids. Achaemenids in the 6th century BC controlled and influenced the Oman peninsula.

This was most likely exerted from a coastal center such as Sohar. By about 250 B.C. the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman. Because they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route, the Parthians established garrisons in Oman. In the third century A.D. the Sasanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the rise of Islam four centuries later^.

Etymology

omangallery — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:40:03 +0000

Oman is a very ancient word. That is, it appears on very old maps. Looking briefly through some standard literature on Oman, it is remarkable how little there is on the origin of the word Oman . Opinions of Arab geographers and historians differ greatly as to the origin of the name, some sources linking it to the Qahtani tribe of Oman and others linking it linguistically to a word having the meaning of settling or staying. Ibn al-Qabi says that Oman means those who occupy a place, as in the adjective aamen, or amoun,settled man. From this was derived Oman.Some say that Oman was named after Oman bin Ibrahim al Khalil who built the city of Oman. Others believe the name to be taken from that of Oman bin Loot. Another explanation is that the Azd, a tribe migrating from Yemen to Oman in pre-Islamic times called Oman “Omana” because they came from a valley at Ma’rib in Yemen which went by the name of Oman, and they likened it to this place. One of the earliest Roman historians to mention Oman is Yalainous who lived from 23-79 AD. He presents in his writings a city which he names Omana. This name recurs in Ptolemy. Some historians identify this Omana of Ptolemy as the city of Sohar, which was the pre-eminent trading centre of Arabia in the classical age of Islam.

When to Go

omangallery — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:58:20 +0000

The best time to visit Oman is between November and mid-March, when the cooler air brings the mountain scenery sharply into focus and daytime temperatures average 25°C (77°F). During this time, you can reduce your costs by sharing local tours with other visitors. For the rest of the year, much of Oman is oppressively hot and hazy, particularly between May and August.

Avoid the June to September rainy season in the south (though this is peak season for Emirati visitors to Dhofar who come specially to see the spectacle of green mountains in the desert).

Muscat

omangallery — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:44:19 +0000

Muscat (Arabic: مسقط, transliteration: masqaṭ) is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman. It is the largest city in the Governorate of Muscat (sometimes referred to as Masqat to differentiate it from the city). In 2005, the governorate of Muscat had an estimated population of 600,000. The greater metropolitan area of Muscat, also known locally as the “Capital Area”, currently covers an area of approximately 1500 km². Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman, Muscat has seen a growth of infrastructural development and urbanization. Pockets of dense residents and commercial districts are interspersed with undeveloped land. The major centers of development can be split into three main groups:

West Muscat: Al-Seeb, Udhaybah, Bawsher, Al-Ghubbrah and Ghala
Central Muscat: Al-Khuwair, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Shati-Al Qurm, Qurm and Ras Al Hamra
East Muscat: Wuttayah, Ruwi, Matrah, Kalbuh, Old Muscat, Sidab and Al-Bustan

In general, Muscat presents a relatively homogeneous appearance of low (rarely more than five story), generally white buildings, with residential, government, and commercial architecture frequently recalling, at least by allusion, historic regional styles. For a city at the edge of the Arabian peninsula and in Oman’s sometimes fierce climate, Muscat is remarkably green, with tree-lined main streets linking the various districts, several sizable public parks, and grass, shrubs, and flowers decorating many traffic circles and other public areas.

On June 6, 2007, Muscat was hit by Cyclone Gonu causing extensive damage to properties and rendering electricity, telephone lines and the international airport inoperative. An estimation of the damage to life and property caused by the cyclone is yet to be released. ^[1] Commercial centres and residences at Qurm, Ghubra and Ghala localities were among the worst hit

Oman

omangallery — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:43:45 +0000

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطنة عُمان, transliteration: salṭanat ʿAumān) is a country in southwest Asia, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west, and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the south and east, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The country also contains Madha, an exclave enclosed by the United Arab Emirates, and Musandam, an exclave also separated by Emirati territory.