Al-Alam Palace, Old Muscat

 The Sultan's palace is next to the Ministry of Finance in Old Muscat. The facade you see in the photo was built in 1972, two years after Sultan Qaboos came to power. I am told the Sultan does not actually spend that much time there, but it is used for ceremonies and state visits. The palace reminds me of the entrance to some kind of elaborate and glamorous 1970s New York nightclub at the height of disco. It is the kind of building you either love or hate. I find it beautiful...in its own way.