Matrah

Port of Matrah.

Matrah or Mutrah is a city of about 150,000 inhabitants in the Muscat Governorate of Oman. Before the discovery of oil they were the center of trade in Oman. It is still a commercial center as one of the largest seaports in the region. Some suburbs include Souq Matrah, a traditional bazaar and Sour Al-Lawatiah, a small community of houses surrounded by an old wall. On both sides of the old city are mud forts built by the Portuguese when they invaded Oman in the 16th century. They are called Al-jalalee and Al-meerani.