MUSCAT, OMAN IS NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED! (Travel Documentary)

Oman is a small nation situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, where the desert meets the bright blue sea. Its capital, Muscat, is a vibrant port city that has long been one of the region's most vital harbors. For thousands of years, trade routes from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have converged here, shaping Muscat's culture, cuisine, and, if you look closely, the faces of the people who live here. While Oman's economy has long leaned on oil, the country is now setting its sights on the future, with tourism taking the lead. And for now, it remains a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. We are at the Khorinish, which is a seaside promenade in the heart of Muscat. This is the center of tourism here in the city, and right nearby you have the Matrasouk, which is one of the oldest marketplaces in Oman. You have the famous fish market, a beautiful mosque in the background, and from here, of course, you have a beautiful seaside view, and you can see the old forts constructed by the Portuguese when they occupied Oman back in the 1500s. Right now, we're close to sunset, and there's a lot of people out, hanging out, taking a stroll. All the shops are open. We just arrived today, and we were exploring in the early afternoon, and it felt like literally everything was closed, and there was nobody on the streets, and we were wondering what's going on. But it turns out in the early afternoon, it's just so hot that shops take their breaks then, and then at 4 30, when the weather starts to cool, that's when life starts coming back in the city. One thing that's interesting and immediately noticeable about Muscat is that there are not any skyscrapers here. All the buildings are fairly low, and that's intentional. There's strict building regulations to maintain the charm and aesthetics of the city, so you can only build to a certain height, and most of the buildings have Arabic facades, so these little architectural details that are really nice. The Corniche is a wonderful place to take a stroll and enjoy the sunset over the sea. The atmosphere is serene and unhurried, distinctly more relaxed than many other places we visited in the Middle East. Muscat defies expectations. Unlike the hyper modern cities of its neighbors, Muscat still evokes the storied Middle East of times past, a place shaped by merchants and sailors, religion, and tradition. The city skyline is dotted with exquisite mosques, their domes and minarets framed by rugged rose-hued mountains. Along the coastline, turquoise waters contrast the otherwise arid terrain. Yet, with its sprawling highways and car-centric layout, there are moments when Muscat feels like you've landed somewhere in Arizona rather than a Middle Eastern capital. Oman's rapid modernization and development can be attributed to one man, Sultan Qaboos, the absolute monarch of the country until 2020. His five-decade reign transformed Oman and secured his place as one of the longest-serving leaders in both Middle Eastern and modern history. This is the Grand Mosque here in Muscat and it was built by the late Sultan Qaboos as a gift to his people and to mark the 30th year of his reign. 300,000 tons of sandstone was imported from India to construct the mosque along with a range of materials from all over the world and the mosque can hold over 20,000 worshippers so you can just imagine the size and scale and beauty of this place. Prior to the 1970s, Oman was largely undeveloped and then when Sultan Qaboos came into power in 1970, he began what was called the Oman Renaissance. He invested in healthcare and infrastructure and education. He began making some improvements around gender equality and in the process, Oman became the modern developed society that you see today. You'll be surprised to learn that the Sultan never actually had any children of his own but when he passed a couple of years ago, there was a peaceful transition of power to a successor that he recommended. The mosque is a sprawling dreamscape of Indian sandstone, Italian marble, and Moroccan tile. The chandelier in the main prayer hall is made with 600,000 Swarovski crystals. The Persian carpet is the second largest in the world. Every Friday, up to 6,000 men gather here for prayer, all facing in the direction of Mecca. The materials and designs in this mosque are inspired by all over the world so something like this might be Moroccan. The carpet in the main prayer hall is Iranian. There's crystals from Austria. The arches in the main prayer room are inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. And the marble is from Italy so you have a little bit of everything and it's meant to be that way, very global and international and outwards looking. This is the Matrasouk. It's one of the oldest traditional marketplaces in all of the Arabic world and you can really find anything here. All sorts of perfumes and trinkets, silver and gold jewelry, clothing, and you can really feel the history walking around here. Like it's not hard to imagine that commerce kind of happens the same way that it did for hundreds of years here. Oman's influence once stretched much further than its modest size suggests. All the way from East Africa to Pakistan with important trade routes that reached from Southern Africa to the China Straits, Indonesia, and deep into East Asia. Matrasouk with its labyrinth of narrow alleys is a symbol of Oman's historical role as a center of trade and maritime power. The souk served as a key point for traders who came to exchange goods such as spices, textiles, and frankincense, Oman's primary export before the discovery of oil. It is a resin obtained from the Boswellia tree, native to the Arabian Peninsula. It's valued for its fragrance, medicinal properties, and is used in religious rituals. This market is really like a labyrinth. It's so easy to just get completely turned around and lost in here. There's just little alleys around every corner. Very beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, what do we think? Looks very appropriate. I don't think they have big enough for my head. Traditional Omani menswear consists of the kuma, a traditional embroidered hat, and the dastasha, a long ankle-length robe that is simple, colorless, and usually white. On special occasions, a masar, or turban, is tied over the kuma. I think I was born for this, right? This is Metro Fish Market, and the people here are a mix of tourists who are here to scope it out like we are, and locals as well who are buying fish to cook in restaurants or at home. And there's quite a nice selection here. Massive tuna, little sharks, squid, scallop. Yeah. Shark? Oh, it's a shark. Due to its location, Muscat has always been a big hub for fishing, and seafood is a big part of the cuisine, so you can really see that here in this market. An interesting fact about this building that the fish market is in, it was designed in 1960 by a Norwegian architectural firm, so it's something that's a bit unexpected and was part of the effort to modernize this centuries-old institution. In Muscat, driving is a necessity, but like much of the Arabian Peninsula, it is also a fervent passion. Fast cars, roaring engines, and the unmistakable scent of burning rubber define the scene. Drifting fever gripped the region in the late 2000s, and drag racing and car meetups are increasingly popular among Omani young people. Today, drifting competitions draw thousands of spectators to arenas just like this one. We just literally were going to dinner, and Lenza heard loud car noises. We literally ran over and got to see some drifting practice, so it's cool to kind of spontaneously get to know Omani car culture a little bit better. So this is practice for a drifting event? Yeah, it's for How big is car culture here in Oman? And people just love cars here, like it's a huge thing in the Middle East. That's really cool that the government kind of makes space for it, because in the United States, like in California where we come from, there's illegal sideshows. So the cars have to go from like parking lot to parking lot, get chased by the police. Exactly, exactly. The government make this one, this is called Muscat Arena. Oman is a nation of immigrants and expats. What this means for its cuisine is a long tradition of influence from cultures spanning three continents. At traditional Omani restaurants, you'll encounter dishes like Indian-inspired pakoras, East African chapati, a tangy fish soup reminiscent of Asian flavors. To experience these dishes firsthand, we head to Razna, a restaurant housed in a stunning building designed to evoke Oman's ancient forts. This restaurant is built like an old fort, so you walk in from the outside and it feels like you're in a different world. The space is massive and cavernous, high ceilings, you have these beautiful Arabic architectural details everywhere. It's one of the more impressive restaurants I've been to in my life and restaurants in Oman and perhaps the rest of the Arabic world, you can fact check me on that. There's a main dining area where you can sit at tables and then there are a lot of private rooms on the side where you can sit on the floor and dine with your family and friends and just have a bit more privacy. This is some traditional Omani bread and it's quite cool because you get to see the lady over there making it fresh. Cheers, I'm starved. Very crispy, has the texture of a crepe but there's definitely a hint of spices in there like cardamom, maybe a little cinnamon or something similar. Wow, wow, thank you. Thank you. This is arguably Oman's most famous dish. This is called shuwa and it's generally eaten during special events like after Ramadan for example and it is a goat seasoned liberally with a spice blend which usually consists of cumin, coriander, cardamom, red pepper. Everyone does it a little bit differently and then once the goat is coated, they wrap it in a banana leaf and they cook it in an underground oven over hot charcoal, sometimes over the course of a few days so it's extremely tender and falling off the bone and it's served with kabali which is Omani rice. Cheers. So soft and tender and the rice reminds me quite a bit of biryani which makes sense considering the history of Oman and the food pathways here. Yeah, it's delicious. Muscat is a place of many cultures. It's deeply rooted in its Arabian heritage yet open and outward facing to the rest of the world. For anyone who is intrigued, I encourage you to come see this combination of ancient traditions and modern global character for yourself.