A Trip Through Oman, Where Skyscrapers Are Illegal and Hospitality Runs Deep

"Passing through the gate into the mosque's bright, soaring complex, I was struck by the bone-white minaret and golden dome reflected in a polished courtyard; inside the vast main prayer hall (we removed our shoes) the scale is overwhelming—worshipper capacity is 20,000—and the carpet, which took four years to weave, contains some 1.7 billion knots; staff in the public information office fed us halwa and locals I met there emphasized religious tolerance and Oman’s peacefulness." - Saki Knafo Saki Knafo Saki Knafo is a writer based in New York City. His work has appeared in GQ, The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Details, The Atlantic, Men’s Journal, and many other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines