Muscat, Oman
Opera house in Oman
The Royal Opera House Muscat, on Sultan Qaboos Street in Shati Al Qurm, was the first opera house in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. Sultan Qaboos, a lifelong lover of classical music and the arts, ordered it in 2001; construction began in 2007 and it opened on 12 October 2011. The complex covers eighty thousand square metres, with over 25,000 square metres of building on eight levels, three of them underground. Its architecture blends Omani, Arab and Islamic traditions: white stone façades, long colonnades along both sides, and carved wood, inscriptions and latticework inside. The grand auditorium seats about 1,100 and can be reconfigured for different kinds of productions. Through the season it stages opera, symphonic music, ballet, classical Arabic music and international performances. The complex also has landscaped gardens, a cultural market with shops and restaurants, and an arts centre.
The best way to see inside is to attend a performance; book early on the website and follow the published dress code for shows. Guided building tours run at set times, listed on the website. The cultural market and gardens are open to stroll and look lovely in the evening when the building is lit.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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AttractionMuscat, Oman
