Blue and gold columns
The palace facade.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paasikivi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · MAHESH MUTTA — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · giggel — CC BY 3.0
The Sultan of Oman's ceremonial palace in Old Muscat, used for official functions and for receiving leaders and heads of state. It stands on the site of Bayt al-Alam, built by Sultan Said bin Sultan in the early nineteenth century, between the Al Mirani and Al Jalali forts built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. Sultan Qaboos bin Said commissioned the present palace, completed in 1972 to a striking design: its facade is lined with broad, mushroom-like blue and gold columns under a wide flat canopy. The palace closes off the northern end of a 250-metre arcaded plaza facing the National Museum, flanked by the Al Jalali and Al Mirani forts on the rocks above the bay. The grounds are closed to the public, but visitors may stand near the gates and take photos, free of charge. Early morning and evening, when the facade is lit, are the best times; it pairs easily with the National Museum and Bait Al Zubair.
The palace facade.
On the rocks nearby.
250 m to the museum.
Old Muscat, between the Al Jalali and Al Mirani forts
No, the grounds are closed to the public, but you can stand near the gates and take photos for free.
