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Discover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman

Discover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman

MUSCAT, Oman – The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque rises into the air like a weird and magical oasis on the flat and boring main highway outside Oman's capital, Muscat. The mosque was empty on the sunny Thursday morning when I walked in, and I was glad to have it to myself. It's pretty massive, pretty breathtaking, and awfully pretty. By far, it was the best thing I saw in Oman.

The house of worship is of recent vintage, having been completed in 2001 after six years. That's especially impressive when you consider the scale of the interior: The rug in the main prayer hall was hand-woven by Iranian women and measures 60x70 meters. According to Wikipedia, this makes it the second-largest carpet in the world. Every surface gleams, both outside and in.

Discover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, OmanDiscover the Majestic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman
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