Muscat, Oman

MUSCAT, OMAN | “The Serene Capital of Arabia”

Muscat is one of the most quietly astonishing capitals in the Arab world — a low-rise, unhurried city of white buildings pressed between the dramatic Hajar Mountains and the Arabian Sea, where the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque rises in brilliant white marble above a city that has deliberately chosen grace over spectacle. Unlike Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Muscat has no skyline of towers; instead it has the Mutrah Corniche, a crescent of harbor lit by the oldest souq in the Gulf, and the ancient Portuguese forts of Al Jalali and Al Mirani watching the harbor mouth from opposite headlands as they have since the 16th century. One hour south, the Hajar Mountains open into gorges of extraordinary beauty; three hours south, the Wahiba Sands desert begins.

The colors of Muscat are warm and serene: white limestone, frankincense amber, the deep turquoise of the Gulf of Oman at midday, and the warm terracotta of the Hajar escarpment at golden hour. This artwork captures the quiet grandeur and extraordinary natural beauty of a capital city unlike any other in the Middle East.