Muscat: Qaṣr al-ʿAlam

From the Mutrah Fish Market, we hopped in a taxi to our next destination … the National Museum of Oman … in Old Muscat.

When we arrived at the museum, we were all set to enter. Until, that is, we spotted Al Alam Palace across the street. Yes, we’d stopped there for a photo op in 2017. But we did not have time to wander the grounds at the time. A quick detour to do so was, therefore, in order.

Qaṣr al-ʿAlam (Al Alam Palace) translates from Arabic as “Palace of the Flag.” It was commissioned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, who ruled the country from 1970 until his death in 2020. On his orders, the new palace was situated in the same place as the one that had been constructed in the early 1800s … between two Portuguese-built forts … Al Mirani and Al Jalali. Completed in 1972, today it serves as a ceremonial palace for official functions.

Designed by an Indian architect, the style is quite eye catching. The blue and gold columns on the façade add a flamboyant pop of color. The palace is at the top of a long driveway that is lined by colonnaded arcades on either side. It stands behind two ornate wrought iron gates. The national emblem of Oman — the Janbiya Bo Sayfain … adopted in the 18th century as the crest of the Al Said Dynasty — decorates the shields attached to the gates … glinting under the bright sun.

Al Alam Palace sits within a huge complex of government buildings. These all-white buildings have crenellated rooftops and wooden balconies … in the traditional Omani style. They stand in stark contrast to the colorful palace and the earth-colored forts. The polished tiles on the sidewalks gleam under the sun, reflecting the white buildings back at visitors.

One cannot enter the palace itself, but you can walk up to the outer gate to take photos. The surrounding government buildings are all off-limits, with guards at the gates. Again, photos are allowed. If there were guards at the palace, they were certainly well-hidden.

There was no one around when we began wandering the grounds. Not the case by the time we left just 30 minutes later. People were streaming into the complex … tour buses driving into the courtyard for photo ops. I’m glad we went to the palace/government complex when we did.Read more