The tiny gated city of Muscat is cradled in a natural harbour surrounded by a jagged spine of hills and now home of the sultan's main palace. The first foreign presence in Muscat was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who landed in Oman on his way to India. The Portuguese returned in 1507 to sack and capture Muscat, but were defeated in 1649. Here’s a view of Muscat as we drove in, with the fort on the left, and the Sultan’s Palace in the centre.