Traditional Dhofari houses

A small informal open-air market for vendors selling all types of weapons, from antique rifles to traditional knives and daggers. Best in the early morning.

Sultan Qaboos was born in a fortress at this location, which is now the grounds for a modern palace. It is not open to the public, but tourists may photograph it from the outside.

A shrine housing the footprint of an enormous camel in the bedrock. According to the Quran, the camel was said to have appeared from nearby mountains as a miracle, yet was killed three days later by unbelievers who refused to recognize the Prophet Saleh. In punishment a severe earthquake was said to have destroyed the entire city and its inhabitants. As in other religious sites, visitors are requested to remove their shoes and women should cover their hair.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these extensive ruins were once the 12th-century trading port of Zafar, visited by Marco Polo in 1285.

Umran (Imran) was a local Arab prophet, believed by some to have been the father of the Virgin Mary, and believed by others to have been the father of Moses. The sarcophagus is 33 m long. Visitors should remove their shoes before entering, and women should cover their heads with a scarf.

This excellent museum has displays on the history of the port and of the region.