World Heritage
Bahla Fort
Historic fortresses in Jebel Akhdar, Oman
One of four historic forts at the foot of Oman's Jebel Akhdar highlands, and in 1987 the first Omani fort added to UNESCO's list.
Photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 2.0
OM · Curated travel guide
Oman: 10 places worth the journey
Bahla Fort, Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn and 7 more — what each one is, and why it is worth the detour.
- Places
- 10
- World Heritage
- 4
- Language
- Arabic
- Currency
- OMR
What to see in Oman
Chosen from everything Wikidata knows about Oman and ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions describe them, which is about as close to "famous" as open data gets. 4 are on UNESCO's World Heritage list.
World Heritage
World Heritage
Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
Ancient water channels in Oman
Ancient systems for collecting, carrying, storing and sharing out water, dating from AD 500, in Oman's Batinah, Sharqiyah and Dakhiliyah regions. They are an old kind of Middle Eastern irrigation with a 5,000-year history in the region.
Photo: Paolotacchi, CC BY-SA 3.0
World Heritage
Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn
UNESCO World Heritage sites in Oman
A necropolis of beehive tombs from the Hafit period, in the 3rd Millennium BC, near a palm grove in Oman. UNESCO declared them World Heritage in 1988, the second Omani site after Bahla Fort, listed in 1987.
Photo: F igy, Public domain
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Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Mosque in Muscat, Oman
A Friday mosque in Muscat, capital of the Sultanate of Oman, finished in 2001 in a contemporary Islamic style. It is the country's biggest mosque, holding 20,000 worshipers.
Photo: Mostafameraji, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Jebel Shams
Ultra-prominent mountain peak in Oman
Also spelled Jabal Shams, a mountain in north-eastern Oman, north of Al-Hamra town.
Photo: Andries Oudshoorn, CC BY-SA 2.0
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World Heritage
Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve
Animal sanctuary in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills
Formerly the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, a nature reserve covering coastal hills and central desert in Oman. UNESCO put it on its World Heritage list at a time when it was much larger.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42996397@N05/, CC BY 2.0
Khuriya Muriya Islands
Islands of Oman
Also called the Al-Hallaniyat Islands, five islands in the Arabian Sea 40 km (25 mi) off Oman's south-east coast. They belong to Dhofar governorate, in its province of Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands.
Photo: Taken from Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL), originally from CIA Indian Ocean Atlas, Public domain
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Sharqiya Sands
Region of desert in Oman
A desert region of Oman, named after the Bani Wahiba tribe.
Photo: Andries Oudshoorn, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Jebel Jais
Mountain in Oman and the UAE
A mountain of the North-Western Hajar range, in Oman's Musandam Governorate and in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, with a summit 1,934 m (6,345 ft) high.
Photo: IbrahimKumar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Royal Opera House Muscat
Arts Complex in Muscat, Oman
Often shortened to ROHM, Oman's leading venue for music and culture, on Sultan Qaboos Street in Muscat's Shati Al-Qurm district.
Photo: Arsalaan Ahmad, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Oman
Officially the Sultanate of Oman, a West Asian country in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula. It has land borders with Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and sea borders with Pakistan and Iran, and its coast runs along the Gulf of Oman to the northeast and the Arabian Sea to the southeast.
Officially The Sultanate of Oman. Known locally as ‘Umān عُمان.
Based on the Wikipedia article, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: the facts are Wikipedia's, the wording is this site's.
Questions travellers ask
What is worth seeing in Oman?
This guide lists 10: Bahla Fort, Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn and Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and others. Bahla Fort, Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn and Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
How were these places chosen?
By machine, from open data, with no human ranking them and nobody able to pay for a place on the list. Everything Wikidata records in Oman that is a building, a landform, a protected area or a tourist attraction, has coordinates, a photograph and an English Wikipedia article, is ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions wrote about it. Provinces, cities, airports, stations and stretches of sea shared with the neighbours are filtered out.
Which places here are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
4 of the 10 in this guide: Bahla Fort, Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn and Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve. That is not the full count for Oman, only the listed sites that made this guide.
What language is spoken in Oman, and what currency?
Arabic. The currency is OMR.
How do I get mobile data in Oman?
A travel eSIM is usually the cheapest way, and avoids a roaming bill. The plans suggested at the foot of this guide start at $2.51 for 1GB per day. The eSIM is data-only and sits alongside your normal SIM, so calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your own number.
Which networks would my phone use in Oman?
Vodafone. Your phone picks whichever has the best signal where you are, the same way a local phone does.
One practical note: staying online
Maps, tickets and translation all want data, and roaming is the expensive way to get it. A Computatus eSIM eSIM connects to Vodafone once you land, and installs by QR code before you leave.
See 11 Computatus eSIM plans for Oman from $2.51
| Plan | Data | Valid | Price | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB per day Cheapest | 1 GB | 1 day | $2.51 | Get it → |
| 1GB for 7 days | 1 GB | 7 days | $2.86 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $4.48 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 15 days | 3 GB | 15 days | $7.52 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 30 days | 3 GB | 30 days | $8.06 | Get it → |
| 3GB per day | 3 GB | 1 day | $8.77 | Get it → |
No app needed. Install by QR code before you fly, keep your own number for calls, and it connects the moment you land.
Vodafone 5G
A commission on plans bought through these links is what pays for this guide. Nothing above depends on it: the places are chosen before any price is looked up.