Tourism official and operators in Oman expect the number of tourists visiting Oman will increase 11 per cent to 2 million this year, because Gulf residents are looking for less expensive holidays in the region. Ministry of Tourism head of development Khalid Al Ghassan said “The global crisis has forced Gulf nationals to travel closer from home and Oman is hugely benefiting from it.”
Al Ghassan said about 1.8 million tourists visited Oman in 2008, and 75 per cent of these were from one of Oman’s five GCC neighbors. He said the number of GCC visitors during the first half of 2009 totaled 710,000, a six per cent increase compared to last year.
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is housed in a grand palace that was a gift for Ibrahim Pasha from his close childhood friend, and father-in-law, Suleyman the Magnificent. It was designed by Sinan, Turkey's most famous architect, and completed in 1524. Pasha, who served as Grand Vizier, did not get to enjoy his palace for long, as he was murdered in 1536, accused of plotting aga...
Watson Road, Observatory Hill Tel: (02) 9217 0485. Fax: (02) 9217 0489. E-mail: observatory@phm.gov.au Website: www.sydneyobservatory.com.au Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700. Admission: Free; A$6 (day tour); A$15 (night tour); concessions available. ...
The Söderort is well known for its arenas, specifically for the Globe Arena, which is the host for ice hockey games and international performances, and next to the arena is the Söderstadion which is a soccer stadium and the Hovet which is a general purpose arena. The Hammarbybacken is an artificial hill designed for alpine skiing and is a great place to get in some practice before you head off to ...
The Bab Zuwayla is a gate that was built in 1087 by three Armenian monks to protect the then Fatimid city from invasion. The name Fatimid is given to the ancient Shia Dynasty which ruled North Africa from about 900-1200. Importance is attributed to this gate because it is the only artifact that remains from the Fatimid city. Also, superstitious beliefs state that the gate has heali...