In the Old City of Muscat

The architectural symphony of forts erected by the Portuguese in the 16th century to protect the trade routes along the Indian Ocean begins at Mutrah, just beyond its suq protected by a wooden roof, and opposite the corniche, the waterfront that lights up red at sunset time. Arriving here early in the morning, on the other hand, one is attracted by the bargaining for tuna, which, together with lobsters and crabs, are the great protagonists of the Fish Market and are sold in the belly of a wave-shaped shed, over old blue and red scales, also enjoying the possibility of grilling it directly on the spot. The gold souk is just around the corner, even though it is silver, along with copper, that represents the metal that Oman has always forged so well over the millennia. This can be clearly understood by visiting the Bait Al Zubair Museum, an early 20th century palace that belonged to a family in the sheikh's circle, where traditional clothes, daggers, bracelets, jars, finely inlaid wooden doors and windows and the original setting of a local dwelling have been collected, as well as the garden with an example of a falaj, the underground irrigation system protected by Unesco. The Sultan's Palace with its mushroom-shaped blue and gold columns, reserved for public functions, is located right in the middle of the two contemporary Portuguese forts, Al Jalali and Al Mirani, whose rounded towers and intricate battlements punctuate the Old City hemmed in by sandstone hills like a papier-mâché stage set, which can also be enjoyed from the sea by setting sail before sunset aboard the wooden boats, the typical Sidab Sea Tours dhows. The Chedi is a hotel-oasis amidst lush palm trees, a hundred-metre-long swimming pool, and fish restaurants overlooking the ocean where one dines next to blazing braziers.