الرستاق :.

RUSTAQ Rustaq is located 131 kilometres from Muscat.   It's a short  drive from Nakhl and currently undergoing restoration.  Rustaq was first renovated in 670 AD when  the Yaruba family was in power. The first Yaruba ruler,  Nasir Bin Murshid, made Rustaq as his capital and the fort the center of its government in 1624. The height of the fort was raised a second  time almost 1000  years later in 1668 AD by Imam Saif Bin Sultan  Al Yarubi, and earlier this  century in 1902, Al Sayyid Said Bin Ibrahim.  Sultan Faisal  Bin Turki completed its present day look in 1906.  The area at  the springs  has been modernised for  tourists. They are encircled by a concrete wall and are only for viewing.   Rustaq was a major trading center between the coast and the  mountains during the ancient days, but what was traded is not known. There are four slideshows listed just below.  To view, select one at   a time and follow the simple instructions.

Rustaq Hot Spring is a beautiful sight to see.   The colors of the water are so beautiful and rich.   The area at the springs has been modernised for tourists.   A concrete wall now encircles it and it is only for viewing.   Be sure not to miss it when you go to Rustaq.    In Rustaq there is an old, covered souk next to the fort  which is slowly being abandoned for the new souk.  The shops sell a wide range of Omani antiques,  most notably Omani chests.   In the slide show you will see  a residential  area along with photos of the hot spring.   This was a small residential area with a path barely wide enough for a four wheel drive,  heavily loaded with date palms as to block  all sunlight on the ground and somehow, through it all,  homes were standing.  It was a enjoyable to drive through there though seemingly tricky at times  and the people were most happy to greet us. Click on the above picture to begin the download  for the slide show. It should take about one minute to load a file 270,836 bytes large.   When it has finished loading the slide show  should begin automatically.  If it does not, your browser may require you to click once more on the photo after the download is complete.   Just press "back" in your browser when you are finished viewing.