Editing Muscat (section)

{{short description|Capital and largest city of Oman}}
{{about|the capital of Oman|the grape|Muscat (grape)|other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Muscat
| native_name        = {{lang|ar|مَسْقَط}}
| native_name_lang   = ar
| settlement_type    = [[Capital city]] and [[List of cities in Oman|Metropolis]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
|perrow = 1/2/2/1
|border = infobox
|total_width = 300
|image1 = Sultan Qaboos Street in Muscat 2019-11-30.jpg
|caption1 = [[Route 1 (Oman)|Sultan Qaboos Street]]
|image2 = Al_Alam_Palace.jpg
|caption2 = [[Al Alam Palace]]
|image3 = Sultan_Qaboos_Grand_Mosque_RB.jpg
|caption3 = [[Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque]]
|image4 = Opera house Muscat.jpg
|caption4 = [[Royal Opera House Muscat]]
|image5 = Old city of Maskat.jpg
|caption5 = [[Old Muscat]]
|image6 = Nábřeží Matry.jpg
|caption6 = [[Muttrah]]
}}
| image_shield       = Emblem of Muscat.png
| image_flag         = 
| nickname           = The Pearl of Arabia<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ncusar.org/blog/2016/05/oman-pearl-of-arabia/ |title=Oman, the Pearl of Arabia |date=3 May 2016 |access-date=2023-04-13 |archive-date=2023-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413220056/https://ncusar.org/blog/2016/05/oman-pearl-of-arabia/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| motto              = 
| image_map          = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Oman#Asia
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Muscat in [[Oman]]
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| coordinates        = {{coord|23|35|20|N|58|24|30|E|region:OM|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Oman}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of Oman|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Muscat Governorate]]
| government_type    = [[Absolute monarchy]]
| leader_title       = [[Sultan of Oman|Sultan]]
| leader_name        = [[Haitham bin Tariq Al Said]]
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_land_km2      = 3500
| area_metro_km2     = 3797
| population_as_of   = 2023
| population_density_km2 = 491
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| population         = 1,720,000 (urban area)<ref name="National Centre for Statistics and Information"/><br />
31,409 (Old Muscat Wilayat)<ref name="National Centre for Statistics and Information">{{cite web|url=https://data.gov.om/OMPOP2016/population|title=Population|author=National Centre for Statistics and Information|access-date=March 7, 2022|archive-date=April 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423172856/https://data.gov.om/OMPOP2016/population|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 1,720,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=OMAN|title=UNdata - country profile - Oman|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2018-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126184914/http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Oman|url-status=live}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.mm.gov.om/Default.aspx|mm.gov.om}}
| footnotes          = 
| utc_offset         = +04:00
| timezone           = [[Gulf Standard Time|GST]]
| name               = 
}}
'''Muscat''' ({{langx|ar|مَسْقَط}}, {{Transliteration|ar|''Masqaṭ''}} {{IPA|ar|ˈmasqatˤ|pron}}) is the [[Capital (political)|capital]] and most populous city in [[Oman]]. It is the seat of the [[Muscat (governorate)|Governorate of Muscat]]. According to the [[National Centre for Statistics and Information]] (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million.<ref name="ncsi.gov.om">{{cite web|url=http://www.ncsi.gov.om/News/Pages/NewsCT_20150628133452428.aspx|title=The population of the Sultanate by the end of May 2015|access-date=2015-07-05|archive-date=2017-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804014554/https://www.ncsi.gov.om/News/Pages/NewsCT_20150628133452428.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The metropolitan area includes six [[Provinces of Oman|province]]s, called {{Transliteration|ar|[[wilayat]]s}}, and spans approximately {{convert|3500|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=الدراسات الاجتماعية|publisher=Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman}}</ref> Known since the early 1st century CE as a leading port for trade between the [[Western world|west]] and the [[Eastern world|east]], Muscat was ruled successively by various indigenous tribes, as well as by foreign powers such as the [[Sassanid Empire|Persian]]s, the [[Portuguese Empire]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In the 18th century, Muscat was a regional military power: its influence extended as far as [[East Africa]] and [[Zanzibar]]. As an important port town in the [[Gulf of Oman]], Muscat attracted foreign traders and settlers such as the Persians, the [[Baloch people|Baloch]]s and the [[Sindhis]]. Beginning in 1970, after the accession of [[Qaboos bin Said]] as the [[Sultan]] of Oman, Muscat experienced rapid infrastructural development; it developed a vibrant economy and became a multi-ethnic society. The [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]] classifies Muscat as a Beta-level [[Global City]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |website=GaWC - Research Network |publisher=Globalization and World Cities |access-date=31 August 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824031341/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Hajar Mountains]] dominate the view from Muscat. The city lies on the [[Arabian Sea]], along the Gulf of Oman, near the strategically important [[Straits of Hormuz]]. Low-lying white buildings are a typical feature of its architecture. The city's [[Mina Qaboos|port district]] of [[Muttrah]], with its [[corniche]] and harbour, are at the north-eastern edge of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum, liquified natural gas and porting.