Mutrah Souk is the main souk in Muscat, and despite its now-modern housing, retains the flavor of a traditional Arab market. This was where I ended up buying an abaya because I seemed to be the only tourist in the place (despite the fact that it’s one of the prime tourist attractions in the city), and it was just too uncomfortable walking around there in Western clothes. It’s a pretty stylish abaya, so I think the purchase will have been worth it! It was also interesting that on our way out, several of the vendors stopped me to say how nice I looked in the abaya. Maybe they were just trying to curry favor for a sale, but I also think they appreciated me respecting their customs.

The dome is lit up at night, but I was never able to get a picture of it because the Corniche was just too packed in the evenings to stop.

Another capture of the entrance to the souk: