Lifestyle
Muscat memoir: Wanderer’s tale of majesty, magic, magnificence
If you haven’t visited Muscat yet, add it to your travel list. Simply put, the three M’s – majestic, magical and magnificent – best describe it. A city of peace and tranquillity, embedded in the humility and justice of its rulers and inhabitants.
As I landed at the Sultanate of Oman’s four-star Muscat Airport, accredited by Skytrax, I refreshed my memory archives while witnessing novel changes – ultra-modern facilities coupled with ornate decor. I was astounded when an Omani official extended warm greetings in Urdu. Furthermore, British citizens enjoy a 14-day visa-free entry.
I rushed to the exit, imagining my beloved sister Shazia, a lecturer at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences. My brother-in-law, Chaudhary Javaid Iqbal, ex-chair of Pakistan School Muscat, picked me up at the airport. Everything was well-organized. I sat with joy, inhaling the lightly fragranced air.
Moments later, the jeep rolled forward on the neat and smooth roads to Muscat’s jewel, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. What a coincidence – a blissful dawn, just in time for morning prayers.
As I stepped into the mosque, I felt a spiritual harmony akin to entering Sultan Ahmed Camii, the Blue Mosque. Perhaps the builders of these magnificent mosques, Sultan Ahmed and Sultan Qaboos, shared values of modesty and righteousness.
I filmed iconic patterns, a stunning interior, vivid ceilings, intricate calligraphy, harmonious color schemes and unique architectural features – the gigantic handwoven carpet, the dome and the minarets – each a masterpiece. Moreover, the mosque is richly adorned with intricate Arabic motifs and arabesques, adding to its enigmatic beauty. In short, it stands out as a “symbol of cultural identity and spiritual tradition.”
This little space can’t fully capture the Grand Mosque’s remarkable allure. Every inch showcases architectural brilliance and reflects the spiritual essence of its builder, Sultan Qaboos, who earned the title of a fatherly figure. The answer became clear when I saw, opposite the mosque, the equally magnificent building of the Supreme Court of Muscat. I recalled stories of just rulers from Islamic history and understood why Sultan Qaboos is so fondly remembered.
Motorway to Muttrah
Muscat is blessed with magnificent beaches – Qurum, Azaiba, Yiti and Al-Sifah – along with numerous monuments, including notable forts such as Al-Jalali and Al-Mirani, modern shopping malls, markets and museums. The pearl of Muttrah is the “yacht of Sultan Qaboos,” one of Muscat’s majestic landmarks.
Muttrah Corniche is a scenic boulevard blending a graceful harbor, mountain views, parks and the traditional souq (market). If you enjoy nature, history, shopping and seaside strolls, it’s an ideal place to stay – along with Ruwi, which caters well to budget travelers.
The road to Muttrah offers scenic views, modern buildings, parks and roundabouts adorned with cultural symbols like jug sculptures along Bandar Jissah Highway. Palm and date trees, lush greenery and purpose-built cafes and restaurants line the route.
Eager to capture nature through my lens, I sat in the front seat. Knowing my inspiration to take photos, Javaid and Shazia had planned several stopovers. The long drive through the Al-Hajar mountain range – home to wheatears, warblers and nesting vultures in natural caves – presented a stunning landscape. The nearby Kalbuh Park featured various date palms, an incense burner monument, ornamental flowers, a play area, water fountains and visually pleasing arrangements.
We enjoyed a serene morning in Kalbuh Park. Trees received natural fountain showers, and I caught the sunrise on camera. Thankfully, my hosts were well-informed and attentive. We drove along the coast, stopping often to observe nature up close.
I recreated an old memory by taking a picture at the same spot with the historic Muttrah Fort in the background. I wouldn’t hesitate to endorse Muscat as a full-package holiday destination offering a fantastic range of memorable experiences.
For shopaholics
Muttrah Souq speaks volumes of its historical heritage, offering a wide variety of souvenirs, embroidered clothes, decorated pots, handmade jewelry, dried fruits, traditional Omani lanterns, perfumery (especially frankincense), tea and halwa. Omanis are generous by nature – at the University of Leeds, our colleague Mohammed Al-Ghafri often brought delicious Omani halwas to share.
Muttrah’s fish and vegetable markets are also worth visiting, especially if you enjoy freshly prepared coconut juice or want to explore authentic Omani cuisine.
Colorful evenings
Muscat’s summer and winter evenings bring myriad charms – walkable beaches, a peaceful environment and flavorsome cuisine. Javaid and Shazia planned an entire week of evening outings, beginning with a visit to a marvelous piece of modern art: Al-Ameen Mosque, built by the Saud Bahwan Group – one of Muscat’s renowned families.
Muhammad Al-Ameen Mosque stands out with its spectacular features – its white marble exterior, 24-karat gold-plated chandeliers embedded with Swarovski crystals and handwoven Persian carpets – earning it global admiration among majestic mosques.
The next two evenings were equally blissful and enriching. Meeting Pakistan’s Ambassador, Muhammad Imran Ali Chaudhry, was a memorable experience. An hour-long session filled with wisdom revealed the powerful impact of kind gestures, which often earn deep devotion from the public.
Ali’s greatest triumph lies in his humility and open-door policy – allowing Pakistani workers direct access to him during times of difficulty.
On another evening, we visited Iqbal Jaa’far, owner of Al-Haseena Jewelers in Ruwi and Dubai. Jaa’far reminded me of the virtues of humility and generosity. He shared stories of his father, who once gifted shops to staff members in Karachi’s shopping plaza. Despite having a domestic assistant, Jaa’far personally served us tea, cakes and homemade savories – an example of true humility.
I was reminded of a past visit where I met the late Abdul Sattar Basra, a prominent Pakistani and a close aide of Sultan Qaboos. The sultan gifted him a farm in Barka, adjacent to the farms of Omani dignitaries, reinforcing the idea that hospitality and generosity are deeply rooted in Omani culture.
At the dinner table, Javaid, Shazia and their children – Hamza, Aimen, Omar and Fatima – shared stories from school, college and work. Shazia fondly remembered Anna Lutton, a devoted revert Muslimah and teacher at Ibra College of Technology, who loved her time in the heavenly land of Oman.
Listening to Shazia’s stories, now a lecturer at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, I felt my soul strengthened. Omani children, she explained, are well-mannered, cultured and view their teachers as parental figures, in line with Islamic teachings.
Considering my passion for travel, history and culture, Javaid proposed a visit to the shrine of Hazrat Mazin bin Ghadouba (RA) – a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and Oman’s first Muslim – in Sumail the next morning.
A 190-year-old Greek Orthodox church in Kayseri, central Türkiye, whose restoration was completed last year, stands out for its striking wall paintings and is set to become part of the Cappadocia tourism circuit.
Built in 1836, the Church of St. Eustathios is an important historical and cultural landmark in Kayseri’s Incesu district and features numerous paintings and other remnants on its interior walls.
The three-aisled, vaulted church underwent restoration by the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality in 2021. Its load-bearing walls and historic fabric were reinforced using materials and techniques compatible with the original structure.
The stonework and frescoes, or wall paintings, inside the church were preserved, while Karamanlı inscriptions – Turkish written in the Greek alphabet – depicting various scenes, as well as charitable endowment records, reliefs and carvings on the walls, were conserved and brought to light.
Restoration of the church was completed last year using archival photographs and documents as references to ensure the building remained faithful to its original appearance. The site, known for its distinctive wall paintings, will serve as the Incesu City Museum.
More than 80% of the exhibition and interior arrangement work has been completed. The church is also being prepared for inclusion in the Cappadocia tourism circuit, with nearby destinations such as Avanos, Ürgüp and Göreme located 45 to 50 kilometers (28 to 31 miles) from Incesu.
Tayfun Talaslı, head of the municipality’s Historical Buildings and Museums Branch Directorate, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the three-aisled, vaulted church, built on a rectangular plan, is an example of classical Greek Orthodox architecture in Anatolia.
Talaslı said the building served as a place of worship until the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Türkiye, after which it was used for various purposes, including as a military warehouse, archive, theater and vocational school.
He said restoration work began toward the end of 2021 under a protocol signed between the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality and Incesu Municipality and was completed last year.
Talaslı emphasized that the main principle guiding the largely completed exhibition and interior arrangement work was to avoid causing any damage to the historic structure and said preserving the building’s original character was a top priority throughout the restoration.
“We used old photographs of the church as references during the restoration. We also based the project on art history reports that took into account the oral histories of people who once lived here,” he said.
He said the remaining work is expected to be completed soon, after which the museum will open to visitors.
“We are creating a museum on the ground floor of the building, which we have repurposed as the Incesu City Museum, focusing on the city’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage,” Talaslı said.
“Visitors will be able to trace Incesu’s history, learn about notable figures who were born here or left their mark on the city and explore its architectural heritage,” he said. “We will highlight a wide range of local treasures, from the Kara Mustafa Pasha Complex to the Roman-era milestone that has become one of the symbols of Incesu.”
Talaslı said visitors will also be able to see ceramics and other archaeological finds unearthed in Örenşehir, while the museum will offer a broader look at Incesu’s heritage, from its cuisine and population to the 1923 population exchange and the city’s historical development.
“We will cover everything from who the building was commissioned for to the area’s flora and fauna, geological structure, agriculture and grape production,” he said.
The Karaelmas Touristic Express, which operates between Ankara and Zonguldak, will return to the rails on Oct. 2, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced, offering travelers a chance to explore the region’s natural, historical and cultural treasures by train.
In a written statement, Uraloğlu said the tourist train, launched by TCDD Transportation in cooperation with the Western Black Sea Development Agency (BAKKA) and the Zonguldak Provincial Special Administration, contributes to tourism-focused rail travel between Ankara and Zonguldak.
The train will begin this year’s service Oct. 2, Uraloğlu said.
The Ankara-Zonguldak service will depart on Oct. 2, 16 and 30 and Nov. 13, while trains traveling from Zonguldak to Ankara will depart on Oct. 3, 17 and 31 and Nov. 14.
Trains from Ankara to Zonguldak will leave at 11 p.m. on Fridays, while return services will depart Zonguldak at 11 p.m. on Saturdays. The train will have a total of seven carriages, including six sleeper cars and one dining car, with a capacity of 120 passengers.
The Karaelmas Express first operated as a tourist service in 2025, completing four outbound and four return journeys along the Ankara-Zonguldak-Ankara route, for a total of eight trips.
Since its inaugural journey, the train has offered passengers a different way to discover the Western Black Sea’s natural, cultural and industrial heritage, Uraloğlu said.
“For the 2026 schedule, passengers traveling from Ankara to Zonguldak will make sightseeing stops in Yenice, while those on the return journey will stop in Çankırı and Kalecik,” Uraloğlu said. “This journey, stretching from Yenice’s natural beauty and Zonguldak’s history to Çankırı’s cultural heritage and Kalecik’s local treasures, will bring rail travel and tourism together.”
Venice is looking at expanding its tourist entry fee, applying it for a longer period of the year and raising the daily charge to as much as €30 ($34), a senior official in the city government has said.
Budget and taxation councilor Michele Zuin said the current fee of €5 to €10 ($5.7 to $11.5 ) was too low to safeguard against overtourism, but said the new price for 2027 would have to be discussed and agreed with the government.
“The current €5-10 charge is affordable for virtually everyone; the risk is that it no longer has the deterrent effect that this measure is supposed to have,” Zuin told the Sunday edition of regional daily Il Gazzettino.
In remarks that were widely picked up by national media on Monday, the councillor said there was “even talk of (going up to) €50 ($57),” but added that authorities could settle for a maximum charge of €30.
The tourist fee, applicable only to day-trippers, was introduced in 2024, in a world first. Early bookers get to pay the lower rate and there are several exemptions, including for children under 14.
In 2026, it was operational on selected days from April 3 to July 26, from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and brought into city coffers more than €5.2 million ($5.9 million) from the sale of just under 680,000 entry tickets.
In a city that has long suffered from overtourism and depopulation, local officials say the scheme is meant to encourage visitors to avoid the most crowded periods of the year, such as the May Day public holiday.
Tokyo tourist hot spot Shinjuku will impose a ban on more than half of its holiday rentals, including homes on Airbnb, an official said Monday, after a surge in complaints about visitors.
Known for its buzzing commercial and entertainment district, the ward hosts nearly 10% of Japan’s 42,000 short-term rentals.
But it also has a large residential population, who have become increasingly exasperated with tourists who fail to properly dispose of rubbish, smoke where they’re not supposed to, and make too much noise.
A Shinjuku official supervising holiday rentals told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the district was “planning to revise the current ordinance … to ban private lodging” in residential zones and areas near schools.
“As the number of private lodging businesses has risen, complaints and troubles around them have increased,” the official said on customary condition of anonymity.
More than 50% of short-term rentals in Shinjuku face a ban under the new rules, he said, adding that the plan would formally be announced by the Shinjuku mayor on Tuesday.
Shinjuku’s policy will apply to existing properties, he added.
The move comes as other cities around the world attempt to crack down on private lodgings available on Airbnb and other platforms, including New York City and Barcelona.
Like elsewhere, overtourism has emerged as a major issue in Japan.
Residents of Kyoto and other hot spots have expressed annoyance at selfie-taking crowds as well as traffic congestion and soaring land prices.
In Shinjuku, the number of complaints over vacation rentals increased by around 40% in the fiscal year to March, the official said.
“Many complaints are about the violation of trash disposal rules while others include smoking and trespassing,” he said.
Shinjuku’s ban comes after the Japan Tourism Agency in July gave municipalities the right to regulate short-term lodgings if “a tranquil living and educational environment” is under threat or if they “hinder the maintenance of a permanent population and local community.”
Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto is also considering a ban on short-term lodging, but only for new rentals within residential and industrial areas.
Several Airbnb hosts contacted by AFP declined to comment.
Visitors to Hasankeyf, one of southeastern Türkiye’s major tourism destinations, are exploring the district’s historic and natural attractions through boat tours on the Ilısu Dam reservoir.
Located in Batman province, Hasankeyf is considered one of the world’s oldest settlements and continues to attract visitors with traces of civilizations that have shaped the region over centuries.
The district is known for historic landmarks including the Imam Abdullah Tomb, Zeynel Bey Tomb, Artuqid Bath, Hasankeyf Museum and Er-Rızk Mosque. The Ilısu Dam reservoir has also given the area a new character, offering visitors an opportunity to experience its landscape from the water.
Domestic and international tourists visiting Hasankeyf can tour its historic sites before taking boat trips across the reservoir to see its canyons and Hasankeyf Castle.
Before setting off, guides brief passengers on safety rules and provide information about the historic castles, caves and canyons along the route. The boat tours last about an hour, allowing visitors to take in the area’s natural and historic scenery.
‘The boat tour was excellent’
Mustafa Yıldız, who traveled from Manisa as part of a tour of the southeastern Anatolia region, said his group visited Hasankeyf after stopping in Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Mardin.
“I really liked Hasankeyf. The boat tour was especially excellent. We really enjoyed seeing the canyons and caves,” Yıldız told Anadolu Agency.
Ramazan Kızar, who traveled from Batman to visit the district, said Hasankeyf was an important destination for cultural and historical tourism.
Kızar said the boat tour gave him the chance to see the historic castle and canyons.
“Thanks to the boat tour I took with my daughter and wife, we are exploring Hasankeyf’s unique beauty,” he said.
52,000 visitors take boat tours
Şehmus Batıhan, a captain and member of the Hasankeyf Kale Tourism Cooperative, said the cooperative operates eight boats offering tours of the reservoir.
Hasankeyf becomes particularly busy with domestic and international visitors during the summer months, Batıhan said, adding that the boat tours have brought additional activity to the district alongside its historic sites.
Visitors are picked up at the harbor and taken on a tour covering the area where the old settlement once stood. The tours last approximately one hour, he said.
“About 52,000 guests have taken advantage of the boat tours in the past eight months,” Batıhan said. “We also provide our guests with information about Hasankeyf’s history during the tours.”
He added that many visitors from European countries join the boat trips.
“Visitors can see many important historical works here and they really enjoy the boat tours,” Batıhan said.
Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, is enjoying a robust summer season, with concerts, cultural events and its internationally renowned film festival drawing visitors from across Europe and beyond.
More than 100,000 tourists visited the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina in July, according to the Federal News Agency, as the city increasingly attracts travelers for its music, cinema, gastronomy and natural attractions alongside its historical heritage.
Three concerts by regional music star Dino Merlin at Kosevo Stadium in late July and early August attracted more than 200,000 people in total.
Visitors traveled from across the Balkans and other parts of Europe, putting hotels and private accommodation under significant pressure.
Sarajevo recorded nearly 78 million euros ($91 million) in fiscal turnover during the three concert days, with restaurants, cafes, shops and transportation companies benefiting from the influx.
The concerts were followed by a performance by British electronic music group The Prodigy on Aug. 13 and by the opening of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) the following day.
Established in 1995 during the final year of the siege of Sarajevo, the festival has developed into one of southeastern Europe’s leading film events. This year’s guests included Woody Harrelson, Emily Watson, Pawel Pawlikowski, Diego Luna, Asghar Farhadi and Celine Sciamma.
In addition to these entertainment and cultural events, Sarajevo offers a blend of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture, along with landmarks linked to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and sites preserving the memory of the 1992-1995 siege.
Its proximity to the Olympic mountains of Trebevic, Bjelasnica, Igman and Jahorina also allows travelers to combine a city break with hiking, cycling and winter sports.
Major events are becoming increasingly important for Sarajevo’s tourism economy by attracting new visitors, extending stays and boosting spending across the city.
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