The Al Alam Palace ( ar, قصر العلم , "Palace of the Flag") is a palace located in

Old Muscat Old Muscat is the original historic city of Muscat, the capital of Oman, on the coast in the Gulf of Oman. Overview The old city of Muscat is separated from the rest of modern Muscat by coastal mountains. It is located along the Muttrah Cornic ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

. It was used as a ceremonial palace by Sultan

Qaboos bin Said Al Said Qaboos bin Said Al Said ( ar, قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد, ; 18 November 1940 – 10 January 2020) was Sultan of Oman from 23 July 1970 until his death in 2020. A fifteenth-generation descendant of the founder of the House of Al Said ...

History

Al Alam Palace, one of six residences of the sultan, has a history of over 200 years, and was built under the watch of Imam

Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan bin Ahmad al Busaidi (died 1804) was the Sultan of Oman, the fourth of the Busaid dynasty dynasty, ruling the country between 1792 and 1804. Early years Sultan bin Ahmad was the son of the Imam and Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi. Early ...

, the 7th direct grandfather of

Sultan Qaboos Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

. The existing palace, which has a facade of gold and blue, was rebuilt as a royal residence in 1972. The inner grounds of the palace remain off-limits, but members of the public are permitted to stop near the gates and take photographs. Al Alam Palace is surrounded by the Mirani and Jalali Forts built in the 16th century by the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

. The Palace is used for official functions and receives distinguished visitors. In January 2012, the sultan received

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husba ...

at the Al Alam Palace during her state visit to Oman.

Architecture

Author Peter J. Ochs wrote: "When you visit the main gates of Al Alam Palace, it is unlike any other capital you will ever visit. The palace itself is elegant but humble in design, unlike the grandiose structures of other capitals". Elegantly designed, it features many highly polished marble surfaces. Government buildings in the vicinity are white, with

crenellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

rooftops and wooden balconies in the traditional Omani style. Though primarily a ceremonial palace, there is a guest villa at the palace with its own pool, spa and walled gardens.

Gallery

File:Al Alam Palace- Muscat.jpg, Al Alam Palace at Muscat. File:Corridor at Al Alam Palace 2019.jpg, Corridor at Al Alam Palace File:Administrative Building near Al Alam Palace - Muscat.JPG, Administrative Building near Al Alam Palace.

References

{{coord, 23.6160, 58.5947, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1972 Palaces in Oman Omani monarchy Buildings and structures in Muscat, Oman Tourist attractions in Muscat, Oman Old Muscat

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References