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Oman

Oman (/oʊˈmɑːn/ (listen) oh-MAHN; Arabic: عُمَان ʿUmān [ʕʊˈmaːn]), officially the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلْطنةُ عُمان Salṭanat(u) ʻUmān), is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Formerly a maritime empire, Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world. Located in an area bordering the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, and shares maritime borders with Iran, and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries. Muscat is its capital and largest city.

From the 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was an empire, vying with the Portuguese and British empires for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran, and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. When its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. For over 300 years, the relations built between the two empires were based on mutual benefit. The UK recognized Oman's geographical importance as a trading hub that secured their trading lanes in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and protected their empire in the Indian sub-continent. Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said was the hereditary leader of the country which is an absolute monarchy, from 1970 until his death on 10 January 2020. According to the rules for succession to the sultanic throne of Oman, the son of the Sultan is usually announced as the new monarch. Sultan Qaboos bin Said did not have any children. The sultanic family announced that Qaboos bin Said had named his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq, as his successor in a letter, and the family confirmed him as the new Sultan of Oman. (Full article...)

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The Jewel of Muscat is a ship based on the design of the Belitung shipwreck, an Arabian dhow that was found off the coast of Belitung Island, Indonesia, in 1998 and subsequently salvaged. It was built in a joint effort by the governments of Oman and Singapore and Mike Flecker, one of the people employed by the salvage company Seabed Explorations at the time of the original recovery. (Full article...)

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... that the expression "going round the bend" is said to come from operators stationed on Telegraph Island who were desperate to escape to India by sailing round the bend in the Strait of Hormuz?

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General images

The following are images from various Oman-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Ruwi - The Commercial hub of Muscat includes a massive marketplace - The Ruwi High Street (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 2Tourists riding camels in the Wahiba Sands (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 3The graves at Al-Ayn in Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 4Qantab Beach (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 5Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 6Muscat Municipality works continuously to beautify the city. Such gates dot roads around Muscat and showcase the traditional roots of the Sultanate (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 7Nakhal Fort (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 8Watching spinner dolphins in the Gulf of Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 9Riyam Park - as seen in Amazing Race 9 - is very near to the Muscat Harbor (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 10Mutrah Corniche (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 11Visa policy of Oman
  Oman

  Visa-free
  Visa required
(from Tourism in Oman)
Image 12Muscat Boat Club (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 13Muscat Harbor - A traditional Omani Dhow lies anchored in the Muscat Harbor (World's largest natural harbor) (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 14Beaches of Oman along with its cliffs attracts tourists from all over the world (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 15Seeb Beach (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 16Qurum Beach - Crowne Plaza Muscat can be seen in the distance (on the cliff-top) (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 17Al Khuwair - The two Khanjar's (left of image) mark the entrance to the Ministries Street which houses all the Ministries of Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 18The Muscat Fort (Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century) overlooks the Muscat harbor, Mutrah and the Al Alam Palace (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 19Muttrah Souq (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 20Mutrah Corniche (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 21Al-Alam Palace is one of the most famous landmarks in Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 22Muscat Port - The Sultan's Yacht can be seen anchored at the Port. (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 23The Mutrah Corniche was renovated to undo the destruction done by Cyclone Gonu (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 24Muscat Clock Tower, MBD, Ruwi - It’s the oldest Monument in Modern Oman and showcases the Sultanate’s commitment to modernization (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 25Frankincense trees in Dhofar in southern Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 26Al Alam Palace, Muscat (from Tourism in Oman)

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[[Image:|center|420px|]]

Credit: Patano

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Oman}}) or categorized correctly. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.