📍Muscat, Oman 🇴🇲

From this moment, the morning of the second day in Muscat, we stepped into a fairy tale that lasted until the end of our journey through Oman.

We couldn't help but wonder, do these people live in the same time as us?

Our first enchanting location was the mosque named after Sultan Qaboos, the largest in Oman. As you can see, there are no strict dress codes here; you can come in your regular clothes, but your arms, legs to the ankles, and hair if you're a woman should be covered (if you don't come dressed appropriately, you can rent clothing on-site). Tourists can visit the mosque only from Monday to Thursday, from 8 am to 11 am. To avoid crowds, my advice is to arrive around 10:30 am because no one rushes you out afterward, and you practically have the mosque all to yourself.

Oman is one of the rare countries in the world that is a sultanate. The mosque, like many places in Oman, is named after Sultan Qaboos, the most significant figure in Omani history and the person responsible for the country's current appearance. He ruled for 50 years, until the last day of his life. He had no heirs and was even divorced, which is very unusual for rulers in this region. However, the people loved him very much, and today they speak of him with great respect. He built over 500 schools, over 100 hospitals, and thousands of kilometers of roads.

The mosque opened on the thirtieth anniversary of Sultan Qaboos's reign after six years of construction, and at that time, it held the Guinness World Record for the largest chandelier in the world, weighing 8.5 tons! Another incredible fact about this mosque is that it houses one of the largest prayer rugs in the world, so be sure to peek inside its main prayer hall.

Entry to the mosque is free for everyone. 🕌🌸🌳