Sohar

Sohar is a city in Northern Oman, 220 km north of Muscat.

Understand
This is the home city of Sindbad the sailor, once an important Islamic port, and the largest town in the country. Nowadays, Sohar has a new port under construction, being built at a cost of RO 120 million. The city is renowned for its copper deposits, and archaeological evidence points to copper extraction being carried out 5000 years ago. There are still three copper mines in operation in Sohar with over 18 million tonnes of copper deposits.

This is an attractive region for tourists due to its clean, safe beaches and the plethora of archaeological features. Visitors will be attracted to its large souq with handy tailors, fruit sellers and fishermen vying for space, and its fort which stands apart with its four-story walls and six towers, an imposing sight overlooking the bay.

One of the first references to 'Sohar' is in the work of historian, Yaqut al Hamawi who implies that the city took its name in the 6th century AH (13th century CE) from a descendant of Noah: Sohar bin Adam bin Sam bin Noah. When the Palestinian Arab scholar Muqadisi visited the city in 10th century AH (17th century CE) he described it as a "flourishing city with a large number of people living there. It is a beautiful city with a comfortable life, ... and its mosque overlooks the sea... the Mihrab (indicator of the direction for prayers) changes colour because it is covered in copper...."

By car

 * From Emirates crossing the border in Al Ain, 1 hour 30 min away by car.

By plane

 * Daily flights from Sharjah (Emirates)

Do
The long quiet beach is ideal for jogging, with or without shoes.

Restaurants
A number of Omani coffee shops are present which serve Omani foods such as shwarma. Other than that, , and are in the centre.



Drink
The only bar where you can drink alcohol is at the Sohar Beach Hotel.

Go next

 * Ibri
 * Muscat, the capital 220 km away, 2h 15 minutes by car