A chartered plane carrying the sacred flame of the Beijing Olympics arrived early Monday in the Omani capital of Muscat, the ninth leg of the global torch relay.

Photo taken on April 12, 2008 shows Al Alam Palace in Muscat, capital of Oman. The torch relay in Muscat, the ninth stop of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay outside the Chinese mainland, will be held on April 14.

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.