Yes Sheba the souqs are great if you want to spend some time haggling with the traders. The souqs along the waterfront in Muscat including the gold and silver souqs are definately from the days of Sinbad but whether they are the oldest in tha Arab world I dont know. Although I like spending time in the souqs in Muscat they do cater a bit for the tourist especially from the visiting cruse ships and they do have a lot of Indian traders. I much prefer the souq in Nizwa which is about an hours drive inland from Muscat it is a lot more traditional and is in the old walled part of the town. Still a lot of tourists go there mainly to visit the fort and there doest seem to be as much Indian influence. You get a lot more Omani handcrafts than Chinese made souveniers - Muscat is where you go to buy gold or silver. The live animal markets in Nizwar are also worth a look especially if you want to buy yourself a goat or a camel To take home.
Hi BB. If I remember rightly, the Souk in Muscat was over 900 years old when I was there about 10 years ago. Didn't get to go inland, as I was on one of those Cruise ships.
. Would love to get back there, and also to the old Market at Sharm El Sheikh.
