Muscat first began to make a name for itself in the 14th and 15th centuries as a trading port but it was the Portuguese who built some of its most distinctive architectural features.

Sultan Qaboos ibn Said (whose family has been in power since 1747), is the current ruler of Oman and is revered and loved throughout the country, perhaps in part because he has funded projects such as this glittering mosque, which was opened in 2001 after a six-year building project and can accommodate 20,000 worshippers.

Whisking your loved one to one of these romantic retreats will impress.

On a trip to Oman, Jim Eagles heads to the 'Grand Canyon of Arabia' and navigates sheer drops and rock falls to visit an abandoned cliff face village.

This area, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Arabia, once supported dozens of remote mountain settlements. In the early 2000s however, the Oman Government moved all the inhabitants to less remote sites with easier access to modern services, leaving the villages to ghosts and foreign trampers.

An unspoilt nation with exotic experiences on tap.

Oman is a superb location to witness the birth of turtles, writes Vicki Virtue.

Brett Atkinson wanders Oman's exotic labyrinths of crazy, colourful contrast.

Vicki Virtue is impressed with the friendliness of the people of Oman and the country's beauty and safety.