Bait Sayyid Nadir Muscat

Just around the corner from Al Alam Palace in Muscat is Bait Sayyid Nadir, one of its few remaining 19thc houses.

Interior Bait Sayyid Nadir
Interior Bait Sayyid Nadir

The name of the house comes from Sayyid Nadir bin Faisal bin Turki Al Said who was born in 1887 and died in 1971.  He was the brother of Sultan Taimur bin Faisal Al Said and had been Wali in Samail and president of the Council of Ministers.

Window Bait Sayyid Nadir
Window Bait Sayyid Nadir

This house, like so many in Muscat, has had a varied history from a private residence, though a Ministry building and then a short-lived Museum (the for-runner of today’s National Museum) until 1978. It’s a 2 story building with simple classic downstairs, presumably originally as stores and arched 3-part windows on the 1st floor topped by ocular windows above each of these. Like most of Muscat’s original grand mansions Bait Sayyid Nadir has a wonderful open courtyard with all the rooms on the 1st floor having access from that.

First Floor Bait Sayyid Nadir
First Floor Bait Sayyid Nadir Muscat

Currently its unoccupied though has been renovated ready for something.

Author: Tony Walsh

Book author including the current Bradt guide to Oman