Unbelievable Beauty
If there is one Must See in Muscat, Oman, it would be the Grand Mosque. It is opened at certain times to the public, and in respect, visitors must dress appropriately for the occasion. Early morning was a good time to visit because there were not too many tours yet.
Outside
Before we even arrived at the Grand Mosque, the architecture and landscaping was beautiful. it spoke of peace and serenity, balance, symmetry. We spent a short amount of time walking around outside before entering the men's prayer room admiring the details of the craftsmanship that went into the arches, pillars, and fountains. There was too much to absorb.
Men's Prayer Room
I was impressed with the beauty of the men's prayer room, but it was very simple in comparison to the one for the women. The wood carvings on the doors and the details on the dome were remarkable.
Women's Prayer Room
I have never seen any place like this. Every detail was made with the finest of attention. The rug was hand made right there by 600 women who came from Iran to weave it. It was amazing. The ceilings had painted beams in the tradition of Jabrin Castle. There is nothing I can really say to express the exquisite beauty or grandeur of this mosque. It was a privilege to be welcome as a visitor.
We spent most of our time retracing our steps in this room to see everything again and again. Everything Our tour guide told us probably is lost at this point. I was overwhelmed with everything I saw.
In the end, I took a lot of photos and figured I could look at the details when I got home to see what I missed. It would be a good place to visit twice if time permitted: once to look at everything, and then a second time to listen to what the tour guide had to say about everything. Not every country allows visitors to their mosques, and not every mosque allows visitors. It is an honor and a privilege to be invited as a guest to visit this beautiful site.
