Oman is full of ancient cultural and historical sites to see. For this weekend, we went on a trip to Nizwa to meet a friend and to explore some of the interesting sites around the city. We have been to Nizwa three years ago where we explored Nizwa Fort and Nizwa Souq. This time, we went to the outskirts of the city and we visited Bahla Fort, Al Hamra Village and Misfat Al Abriyeen.
Early Morning Trip to Nizwa
It’s a cool morning when we left our hometown of Ibra. We went northward via Route 23 where we bought our breakfast of sandwiches, kubos, and tea. We exited the highway and took Route 17 that took us to Izki via Route 17 and then we took Route 15 to meet our friend Grace who happened to be living near this beautiful and holy Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Nizwa.
After meeting with Grace, whom we met for the first time, we went on our way to our first destination: Bahla Fort.
Bahla Fort
To reach the fort, we went thru this elegant gate to the city of Bahla.
A few minutes more and we reached Bahla Fort. We headed to the entrance after parking the car to explore this historic fort. The fort is included in the UNESCO’s heritage list in 1987. It is believed to be built around the 12th and 15th century by the Banu Nabhan tribe.
After having our fill of taking in the relaxing and calming spirit of the Fort, we took our brunch in a restaurant nearby and then we searched the way to another famous tourist spot: Al Hamra Village.
You can view the video of our tour of Bahla Fort in YouTube on this link.
Al Hamra Village
From the restored fortress of Bahla, we went to the almost untouched Al Hamra village. The site is composed of abandoned old houses believed to be built about 500 years ago. There is no entrance gate so anyone can come and explore as desired. A word of caution: the buildings are so old and may possibly collapse so please explore carefully.
The buildings in Al Hamra, some of which were built up to four storeys are made of mudbricks, and dates trees and fronds. It is believed to have been built following the old style of houses from Yemen. The village is built by the Al Abri tribe.
At the foot of the old village, you can see the route of the falaj (irrigation channel) where crystal clears waters flow to give life to the plants and the farms nearby.
Another notable thing in the village is the alley ways which is made of smooth solid rock. Our theory is the whole village is built on a single slab of rock.
People can also check out Bait Al Safah which has exhibits that portray the old way of living in Oman.
You can view the video of our tour of Bahla Fort in YouTube on this link.
Misfta Al Abriyeen
Moving further north, we arrived at our final stop for the day: Misfat Al Abriyeen. Located 1000m above sea level, the village is another famous tourist attraction in Oman. The entrance to the village by itself is simply amazing. There is this breath taking rock formation.
And then there is this house that is literally built on a rock.
Roaming around the alleyways, you can find old buildings and you can also see a part of the falaj that is literally roaring with the abundance of water. This falaj is the reason why the place is so green and that the farms are thriving.
On one end of the village is a deep gorge where you can see a huge solid part of the bedrock that might have risen to the surface a long time ago.
There is also a museum, which is unfortunately closed during our time of visit. It could have been better for us to see the relics that they may have inside.
Before heading out of the village, you may check out the shop near the entrance where they sell various items from souvenir bags, hats, as well as honey and frankincense.
You can view the video of our tour of Bahla Fort in YouTube on this link.
All Things Come to an End. Even the Good Ones…
We ended our trip in Nizwa by taking Grace back to her home. We, The Nomads as we are, however did not go home but we went to Muscat for some other business. The trip and adventure to Nizwa and those three tourist spots are great. We definitely plan on coming back for more.
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