Muscat’s Souq Muttrah is thought to be one of the oldest marketplaces in the world. Many people come to Mutrah Corniche just to visit the souq, which retains the chaotic interest of a traditional Arab market albeit housed under modern timber roofing. Souq Muttrah is located in a busy street with limited space for parking or even stopping. As such, we quickly got off the bus so that it can drive off without blocking the traffic for too long.
Shops selling Omani and Indian artefacts together with a few antiques jostle among more traditional textile, hardware and jewellery stores.
There are many different routes through Souq Muttrah, all going in different directions.
One section of the souq is famously known as Souq Al T’halam, which translates as ‘market of darkness.’ It is one of the largest alleys. When we looked up at the ceiling, we could see the beautiful lanterns, coloured glass and etched wood, ancient yet still vibrant.
There are two entrances to the Souq. We entered the Souq through the main entrance via the Corniche, opposite the pedestrian traffic lights. Below is another entrance facing away from the Corniche.
When we stepped out of the Souk, we could see an Old Watch Tower standing on top of a hill.
We then decided to walk to the waterfront to feel the sea breeze waft across us and inhale the sharp, salty smells of the ocean. From here, we could see our cruise ship docked at the port. Muttrah Corniche isone of the oldest and most iconic locations in Muscat and has retained its old-world charm while still moving forward with the times.
As we walked down to the Corniche, on the left, we came to a nice blue mosque, Masjid Al Rasool Al A'dham.
At one point, we saw someone feeding the seagulls and hundreds of them flying around us, which was cool.
We continued our walk along the Corniche to the right and had a closer look at Mutrah Fort. We did not have time to climb up to the Fort as we needed to catch our tour bus soon to the next destination.
We returned to Mutrah Souq 5 minutes before the bus arrived.
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