A local man walks past a billboard for the Beijing Olympic torch relay in the Omani capital of Muscat, April 14, 2008. The Beijing Olympic torch run in Muscat is due to begin on Monday. [Xinhua]

MUSCAT -- Muscat is the largest city and the center of tourism and commercial activities of Oman, the only Arab country to host the torch relay of the 2008 Olympic flame.

Situated on the Gulf of Oman, Muscat has been known since the Second Century AD as a strategic maritime center linking Asia with Africa and Europe along the ancient maritime Silk Road.

Since the late 18th century, Muscat has been the uncontested capital of Oman. Nowadays, the greater metropolitan area of Muscat, known locally as the Capital Area, covers an area of approximately 1,500 square kilometers.

Despite the infrastructural development and urbanization that Muscat has seen in the past decades, the city manages to maintain a balance between the ancient heritage and the modern contemporary features.

In Muscat, old houses and markets, small shops and narrow roads coexist with modern markets, shops and wide streets, which makes the city an ideal destination for tourists.