Al Alam Palace - Muscat, Oman
Posted by: 
Raven
N 23° 36.900 E 058° 35.670
40Q E 662671 N 2612509
The Al Alam ("The Flag") Palace is the ceremonial palace of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, located in old Muscat (Mutrah) at the Western end of greater Muscat -- the capital of the Sultanate of Oman.
Waymark Code: WMGECR
Location: Oman
Date Posted: 02/21/2013
Views: 6
The Al Alam ("The Flag") Palace is the ceremonial palace of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, located in old Muscat (Mutrah) at the Western end of greater Muscat -- the capital of the Sultanate of Oman.
Al Alam has a history of over 200 years: it was originally built by Imam Sultan bin Ahmed, the 7th direct grandfather of the current Sultan. The existing palace -- decoraded with a one-of-a-kind gold and blue facade -- was rebuilt as a royal residence in 1972. Visitors are not allowed inside but the site remains a popular tourist attraction: people walk all the way up to its adorned front gates and take photos of the main building just a few meters away.
The palace overlooks the Muscat Harbor and is surrounded by old watchtowers as well as two forts built by the Portuguese back in the 17th century: the "Mirani" and the "Jalali".
The Sultan usually resides elsewhere in Oman; the palace is used mainly for official functions and receiving distinguished visitors.