What No One Tells You About Musandam

An Introduction to the Musandam Governorate

The Musandam Peninsula is the smallest and most northerly region of Oman, covering an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometres. It is separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates and its rocky headland just out into the Strait of Hormuz, giving it strategic domination over one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The population of the Peninsula is approximately 30,000 with the greatest concentration of people living in Khasab, the capital.

The magnificent Hajar mountain range dominates the Musandam landscape, extending about 640 kilometres from Ras al Hadd in the south to Khasab, ending with the Ru'us al Jabal ("Heads of Mountains") plunging dramatically and dizzily into the sea.

Musandam's highest mountain is Jabal Harim, at 2,087 metres. The entire interior of the region is mountainous, with one graded track stretching from Daba to Khasab that snakes through narrow gorges, up hairpin bends and down into wadi beds.

Icons in Khasab - The Main Town

Khasab Castle

This picturesque castle on the inner cove of Khasab Bay overlooks the harbour and represent Khasab's eastern line of defence. Contained within its low, crenellated walls is a massive central tower that pre-dates the castle itself and preceded the arrival of Portuguese in the 16th century.

The Souq 

At the back of the castle to the east, in the Harat al Khamzari district, are the plantations and seasonal homes of the Kumzari tribe. Further east is the souq, with bustling shops selling most of the usual items found elsewhere in Oman, as well as imported Irani goods, locally made pottery and the unique Musandam axe, or jirz.

The Harbour

Traditional boat-builders can be seen at work in small shipyards adjacent to the harbour, where they engage in the constructions of fishing vessels and undertake repairs for a dwindling fleet of traditional battils. From time to time a battil can still be glimpsed in the harbour, its long, graceful bow wrapped in goatskin adorned with rows of cowrie shells and its high, elegant stern decorated with colourful ribbons.

Musandam is one of the most beautiful and untouched areas of the world. It is quiet, peaceful and serene. What would you like to see in Musandam?

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