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| Abandoned mine pit lake |
Today we stay at the only hotel in Oman where we also have breakfast so we are interested at the offering. Beside dates and hummus everything on offer is Indian food which to us looks more like lunch food than breakfast. It is a bit weird but it is filling and that is what is important.
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| Indian/Omani breakfast | Milk tea and dates |
Before starting towards Muscat we decide to do a side trip up Road 7 that goes back to UAE as we noticed that there are quite a few attractions up this side road. First one that we want to visit is the Hawra Burghah fortress a 13th century fortress rising on a rock outcrop with great views of the area that enabled it to controk the route from Buraimi to Sohar. And yes it is on top and it looks a long way up but we still intend to climb to it.
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| Interesting rock formation | View of the plains |
 |  |
| On top is the Hawra Burghah fortress | Getting closer you can barely see the walls |
The wildlife is as expected quite rare with only a few lizards and a fake ostrich to be found.
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| Real wildlife | Fake wildlife :) |
There are some fortifications at the base which are also interesting to explore before looking for the best way to climb to the major fortress at the top.
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| Ruin at the bottom of the hill | Close up of old wall |
We find a good place to start our climb but in the heat it is hard work even though there is path at least in the beginning. It is a great feeling when we arrive at the first protection wall and find a hole in the wall that allows us to enter. There is still a bit to climb but it is much easier here and there are also interesting things to look at including some well preserved walls.
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| Still a lot to climb | Barbarians outside the walls (or something like that) |
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| Climbed quite a bit and still a bit more to the top | Amazingly well preserved wall |
Some of the more interesting sights are a preserved door archway and a few dams for water capture as obviously this was a problem for the fortress given its position. And of course there are beautiful views of the mountains and the valley all around the peak.
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| Destruction everywhere | But quite well preserved in places |
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| Surviving arch at the top | Dam for water capture |
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| View from top - magnificent | You can go for a long time... |
The next attraction is the Arja Ziggurat and we find to our delight that the road has been paved which makes for easier going than if it would have been a dirt road. The Arja ziggurat is not that impressive from close up but it is important as it is the only ziggurat found in the Arabian Peninsula. Ziggurats are mostly found in Mesopotamia and look like a step pyramide. It is speculated that it was built here as Arja was an important copper producing centre which can be observed even today as there are copper mines and processing plants along the way.
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| Arja ziggurat from a distance | Getting closer |
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| Entrance to ziggurat | One of the steps of the ziggurat |
We explore the area a bit more walking on a dirt road to some interesting rock formations; it really looks like a mineral rich area and we find different signs of mining along the way.
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| Dirt road | Interesting...too bad we are not geologists |
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| Colorful contrast | Close up of formation |
Before returning to Sohar and to our road to Muscat we want to visit one more thing - the abandoned Lusail mine. The drive on the dirt road to it is not that bad however we initially pass it and it takes a bit to find the the right entrance. There are interesting remains from the mining operations including stairs that go nowhere, locked doors and covered and uncovered mining pits.
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| Looking for the abandoned Lusail mine | Staircase to nowhere |
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| Looks like an X files entrance | Should we go down?! |
Soon we arrive at an unexpected sight - the mining pit full of water and colored from the many minerals disolved into the water. It is really impressive and we cannot stop watching how it seemingly changes colors as we walk on the edge.
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| Mine pit is full of water now | It is a deep pit |
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| Copper colored water | Shore is white from mineral deposits |
The other attraction that we knew about was the arch next to the pit. It is not known if it is natural or artificial but it looks impressive.
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| Mysterious arch | Quite impressive - natural or artificial? |
Besides the views there are interesting stones everywhere and remnants of drilling which make this a very interesting walk.
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| Drilling sample | Interesting rock |
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| Interesting mineral sample | Sooo many different stones |
As we return on the dirt road we stop once more to explore a wash and we find another open pit mine also full with water and a tree with the name of the mine, Lusail.
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| Lusail tree | Another open pit mine creating an artificial lake |
The next attraction that we want to explore is the Rustaq loop on the way to Muscat. For that we return to Sohar and drive towards Muscat before turning towards Rustaq. Rustaq loop is known due to the many castles on it but unfortunately we do not think that we will be able to visit them as most of them are supposed to be closed today or only open in the morning. On the way however we have our fill of camels as we see them everywhere - on trucks and on the ground, eating, walking or sitting.
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| Camels on the ground | And camels carried by trucks |
The first fort on the loop is Al Hazm , surprisingly large for the small village in which it is built. It dates from 1711 and was built by the Ya'arubi imam Sultan bin Saif II who is buried inside at made Al Hazm for a short period the capital of Oman. The entrance is impressive and we notice the door is open so we decide to approach. From inside we are called in and asked if we want to visit. We are excited and say yes and after paying for entrance we are allowed to enter which is great as it was not supposed to be open this afternoon.
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| Al Hazm entrance | Castle from outside- intimidating |
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| Impressive tower | Interior fortress entrance |
The interior fort door is richly decorated and we admire it before examining the map trying to plan our way through the fort.
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| Beautiful door | Door is really thick |
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| Very handy to have | Photos of the Sultan are quite common |
The castle has a layout typical for Omani castles with the fort being built around an interior courtyard with a falaj passing through it. The falaj is impressive with clear and rapid water flowing through the inner courtyard and it is quite rare to still function as we will learn at the other castles.
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| Beautiful architecture | View from above of interior courtyard |
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| Falaj through the interior castle | Really clear water in the channel |
The rooms are not furnished but you can go almost anywhere which makes it quite interesting to explore. We go through secret passages, climb stairs and explore hidden corners - we feel almost like explorers as there are very few other people visiting.
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| You can go almost anywhere | Former prison(?) |
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| Lots of places to hang stuff | Hope those are not for humans :) |
The one major item we seem to find through the castle as we wander around are cannons - they seem to come from multiple sources including Spain and Portugal which were likely obtained through battle.
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| There are cannons throughout the castle | Most being a bit battered |
On our tour we also see the tomb of the Iman that built the castle and moved the capital here for a few short years. There are also a lot of other interesting architectural details that we examine as we climb to the top of the fort.
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| Imam's Tombs | Protected writing |
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| Nice detail on interior window | Wood carving on door |
But before that we want first to see the date storage - it is interestingly built with ridges so the palm oil can flow into the pottery containers that were set at the end of the ridges.
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| Date storage | Storage containers |
After arriving at the castle top we enjoy the great views of the village and the mountains in the distance, it is interesting to view the unrenovated houses in the village and the palm trees in the nearby oasis.
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| Castle top | Very well renovated |
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| Looking through the crenels at the village | Lots of palm trees |
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| View from top of castle | Older part of the village |
Exiting the castle we take a look at the gardens which is full of trees some with interesting fruits. After that we return to the loop and pass through Rustaq where we don't stop as it is already late and we want to at least see one of the wadi's in sunlight.
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| Tree in castle garden | And some fruits |
The wadi that we choose is Wadi Bani Kharous that can be accessed through Awabi village. We find the road relatively easy as right where it forks from the main street is the Awabi castle. It is newly restored and we take a drive around it before continuing in the Wadi.
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| Awabi fort from distance | Close up of fort |
A wadi is basically a narrow canyon and we drive through it for a few kilometers to take pictures before returning to the loop and continuing on to Muscat.
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| Road through Wadi Bani Kharous | Tree in the wadi |
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| Canyons are everywhere | Rocky area |
Finding the hotel in Muscat is not easy and we are happy that we put a waypoint on our GPS. Even so it is difficult to follow the instructions due to the number of new roads including highways being built including a bypass of Muscat that is really useful in avoiding the central area. The hotel looks luxurious and the rooms are good especially given how tired we are. However our provisions are low so we have to exit to buy stuff.
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| Muscat hotel | One of the rooms |
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| The second room | Kitchen |
We get directions from the hotel and drive towards the Lulu supermarket however it is more difficult than expected as we have to make sure we do not leave the frontage road for the main road and then when we finally get close there is a game going on or there is a market at the stadium near the supermarket which makes for very busy roads and people running around so we have to be extra careful. In addition all parking is taken so we have to drive around for a bit before seeing someone leave and parking in that spot. The store is crazy full but we get everything we need and soon are back at the apartment for dinner and a recuperating sleep.
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| Nearby supermarket | After making our purchases |
First thing today we intend to visit Sultan Qaboos Mosque, the only mosque in Oman that can be visited by Non Muslims. It is open only in the morning till 11AM and it takes a bit to get there as it is on the other side of Muscat which is almost 40 km long. We are lucky to find the entrance following other people as it is not clear where it is and the one we tried to enter was marked as exit after getting close to it. From the entrance it seems a long way to the mosque through the nicely landscaped gardens. We enter in the first room we see assuming that it is the entrance to the mosque but it is just a relatively small hall. We take heart that we are not the only ones that made the mistake as it is full of other tourists.
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| Sultan Qaboos Mosque in the distance | The grounds are nicely landscaped |
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| Is this really the interior of the mosque? (Answer: No) | It has however a beautiful door |
Walking around the perimeter of the mosque we find a place to leave the shoes and enter the interior courtyard. It looks shiny and new even though it has no roof so we assume it is cleaned quite often to ensure no dust is settling on the floor.
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| Perimeter of mosque | Time to leave our shoes |
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| Looks really new.. | ....and pristine |
We continue our walk and soon we arrive at a big door that is the real entrance of the mosque.
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| Hallway ceiling | Writing on the wall |
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| Entrance to the main building | One of the many ornate doors |
Given the short timeframe it is open there are lots of tourists visiting the mosque and all of the are inside which makes for a busy visit not helped by the fact that everyone is hoarded along a blue walkway and cannot wander freely inside. Probably the reason behind this is to avoid people trampling on the second largest carpet in the world one of the attractions of the mosque.
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| Lots of tourists inside | Only Muslims are allowed outside the blue path |
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| Second largest single piece carpet in the world | Carpet detail |
We continue on the blue walkway and we pass the chandeliers which are also some of the biggest in the world but given the size of the mosque they seem average sized.
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| The blue path makes a loop inside the mosque | Didn't see that many tourists anywhere else |
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| One of the biggest chandeliers in the world | Beautiful detail in the mosque |
Everywhere we look there are interesting things to see like decorated niches, painted wooden beams on the ceiling, calligraphy with verses from the Quran and carved doors.
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| Nicely decorated niche | Ceiling is also richly decorated |
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| Detail on the ceiling | This is not the exit door |
After exiting we walk around a bit more including the perimeter with views of the landscaped grounds outside of the walls. We even see two people wandering aimlessly outside who ask us where the entrance is but we have to give them the bad news that the mosque is already closed as it is past 11AM.
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| View of the main area from a different point | Resident of the mosque |
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| Detail on the exterior walkway | View outside - mosque grounds |
Given that it is after closing time we move slowly towards the exit passing the ablution area where every Muslim has to wash themselves ritually before attending the prayers or handling the Quran. Every woman entering the mosque grounds and the mosque also has to cover their head and we were prepared for this but a few people at least were turned around by security at the entrance because of this or because of clothes that were not sufficiently modest but exiting we are happy to get rid of the headscarfs because it is quite hot outside already.
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| Ablution area | Ceiling detail |
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| Every woman has to cover their hair | Exit (the entrance is far away) |
As we are tired and hungry we return to the hotel from the mosque and have time to admire it from the outside and take in the inside decor. What we like especially are the cockatiels they are lively and can be heard also from our room if we open the door.
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| Hotel from outside | Reception area |
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| Floral arrangement | Hotel's cockatiels |
We also decide to eat at the hotel restaurant as there is a paucity of restaurants in Muscat especially at this time of day. The food on the menu is mostly Indian fare so we eat chicken tikka masala and hummus which is the only Middle Eastern option on the menu and is acceptably good.
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| Possibly the only traditional thing on the menu | Most items on the menu are Indian |
After a bit more rest we start towards our second objective of the day, the Muttrah Souq. As the central streets are quite confusing with all the repairs going on and one way streets we decide on a different route along the seafront that will also allow us to see Old Muscat, the governmental area of Muscat. On the way we pass the entrance to the luxury hotel Al Bustan Palace where in a roundabout there is a replica of a boat used by Abdullah bin Gasm in the mid-8th century to sail to Guangzhou in China. It was built in the dhow yards of Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and four tonnes of rope and not a single nail was used in the construction. Tim Severin and a crew of Omani sailors undertook a famous voyage (nicknamed the Sindbad Voyage) to Guangzhou in this boat in 1980 a journey that took eight months to complete.
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| One old ship | And many new ones |
Next we stop in Old Muscat to visit the governmental area. The major attraction is the Al Alam Palace (Flag Palace) the most important of the six palaces of the sultan. It is a surprisingly colorful palace and it has an interesting, modern form and the visible part is smaller than we expected. Around it are multiple other governmental buildings which are empty today as it is the weekend in Oman (Friday and Saturday here)
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| This looks like the governmental area of Muscat | Mosque in the palace complex |
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| Palace in the distance | Close up of palace |
There are also a couple forts nearby that according to our guidebook can be gotten close to but we cannot find the correct way as we are getting into restricted roads and areas all the time so we decide to give up and exit from the Old Muscat area through the Old Town gate that was closed each night during medieval times.
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| Fort in the distance | Empty corridor |
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| Nice building | Exit gate from old Muscat |
Our next stop is at a roadside parking area that seems quite popular. It has a stone beach with a few picnic places that are fully occupied and a tower on the top of the cliffs that seems quite popular. We decide to climb it and after a tiring climb with great views we arrive at the top.
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| Stone beach in Muscat | Quite a few cliffs |
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| Why not climb to the tower? | View towards Muttrah area |
From the top we see a weird structure in the distance and even after zooming in we cannot decide what it is - it looks alien but maybe it is a TV transmitter?! There is also a cannon that points out to a nice vista.
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| That looks really alien | Close up...still looks alien |
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| Cannon at top | Looking through the firing slit |
Next we arrive at the Muttrah souq which is surprisingly empty of life. There are only a few stores open there is almost no one inside and the pavement is wet. After exploring it a bit we decide to return in the evening as obviously now is Omani fiesta time.
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| Muttrah souq entrance | Empty and wet |
As we have time now we walk along the corniche which is wide and a nice walk. It has nice views of the port area and of the Muttrah fort which has an imposing position over the harbor.
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| Muscat corniche | Mosque made finding parking difficult |
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| Nice place to walk | Muttrah fort - impressive but difficult to get to |
In the harbor we notice something that looks like a cruise ship which is surprising but of course possible as there might be cruises from Dubai to Muscat. But more interesting for us is the wildlife including some gulls and a lot of fish in the harbor, some of them quite colorful. After this we decide to return to the hotel and on the way back we try to enter the Armed Forces Museum which supposedly opens at 3PM but the guard says it is 4PM and we don't want to wait a hour in front of it so we give up and continue to the hotel.
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| Is that a cruise ship? | Certainly looks like one |
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| Traditional boat | Flying along |
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| Fish in the water | Lots of fish in the water |
Returning in the evening to the souq it is a completely different vibe. Everything is open the streets are full of people however the pavement instead of being wet has a river going through it. This is really weird but jumping and walking through it we pass through the souq buying different souvenirs like frankincense and kuma (the hat that all Omani people wear). At the top the river is even bigger and we have to walk quite a bit to find a place to cross to get back to our car and then to the hotel where we fall asleep exhausted.
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| Souq is flooded | And outside too |
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| Souq souvenirs | Kuma for us |
Today we leave Muscat for the drive to Sur, the easternmost point in Oman we intend to visit. Before leaving Muscat however we want to stop first at Al Bustan Palace hotel to try to buy Amouage, the perfume that made Oman famous but is difficult to find outside of a few high end malls and hotels.
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| Hotel has the Sultan's photo on top of it..didn't notice before | Guarding the street near the hotel |
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| Interesting tea set sculpture on side of the road | Looks like it is moving |
The reception hall of the hotel is impressive and it takes a bit to find the elevators to the shopping area where we wait for the Amouage shop to open. However for whatever reason it does not open even half hour past the opening time so we decide to leave as we have a long drive ahead of us.
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| Al Bustan Palace Hotel | Huge reception area |
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| Ceiling of central atrium | Stores in AL Bustan Palace Hotel |
The oceanside road to Sur is quite new (in one of our guidebooks it is not yet completed) and it has (non functioning) cameras at what seems to be every 100m and tollbooths that are not manned yet. It passes through some interesting dry mountains and then turns back towards the sea where we exit to go towards our goal, the Bimmah Sinkhole. On the side road we can stop to take pictures of a few camels just eating at the side of the road.
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| New road to Sur | Passing through the mountains |
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| One of the many many speed cameras | Fun to see by the side of the road |
Th parking lot for the Bimmah Sinkhole is unexpectedly full with us taking the last spot. Right after exiting we are mobbed by a few goats that leave us alone after seeing we have no food with us. There is an attendant at the entrance but there is no entrance fee and after a short walk we see the sinkhole for the first time. It is quite impressive with a paved walk along the rim and stairs going down to the water.
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| Bimmah Sinkhole Parking - very popular | Even for goats |
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| Should be go down? | The water looks so inviting |
We decide to climb down into the sinkhole, it is easy enough if you take your time. At the bottom it is full of people but most do not enter the water except with their feet. As there are no swimsuits in view we decide not to enter either as we don't want to give offense to anyone. We climb back up and finish our walk around the rim before moving on.
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| Quite a few people | Nobody really enters the water |
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| We have to get back up?! | Clear water |
Returning to the coast we stop at a beach that we noticed on the way to the sinkhole. It is deserted so we walk along the oceanshore finding quite a lot of interesting things including corals, dead fishes and other marine invertebrates. It even seems that we see a sea turtle head bobbing out of the water.
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| Quite a rocky beach | Will we escape the rain? |
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| Things you find on the beach | And some of these too |
We decide to take a swim and while the water is not that clear we can still see quite a few fishes - it would have been great if we had a better day snorkeling as the area had a lot of potential.
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| Quite a few corals are also to be found | Another piece of coral |
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| There are fish underwater | But the water is not that clear |
We re-enter the new highway and pass over impressive viaducts till we get to our next exit towards Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Shab. The first one that we want to visit is Wadi Shab but in order to do that we have to pass through Tiwi which is quite tight even for our small car. We can at least take a look at the traditional Omani houses which are quite interesting with many of them looking like fortresses. Nearby there is a lake full of birds that we also have to stop and examine.
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| Impressive mountains | New road is cutting through the moutains |
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| "Fortified" houses in Tiwi | Narrow streets make for difficult driving |
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| Birds on the water | Duck resting |
Arriving at Wadi Shab it is quite full with us being forced to park along the road. The nearby houses look like fortresses too it almost seems like they are protecting the entrance to the Wadi. The only way to enter the Wadi is by boat and the by hiking and given time restrictions we do not have time to do this and just view this famous Wadi from the parking area before moving on.
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| Wadi Shab starting point (and restroom) | Parking area |
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| Old houses on the cliffs | Newer houses perched precariously |
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| Wadi Shab view | Lots of people taking boats across to the trail |
The second famous Wadi is Wadi Tiwi where you can drive for a bit but after a couple kilometers are stopped as with water running down the road we do not want to risk our rental car. Still there are some interesting sights including some ruined walls on rocks along the road.
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| Wadi Tiwi end for us | Wadi view |
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| Ruins on top of the stone | Dam (or stone fence) remains |
Our last stop on the way is Qalhat, a very important Omani city in medieval times which was sacked by Portuguese in 1508 and never recovered. What we want to visit are the ruins left from the this attack and especially the Mausoleum of Bibi Maryam the only more or less surviving structure. But first we have to find the ruins and helped by people along the way we arrive in a wash and we see what we think are the ruins on top of the hill. As we go up we meet a car going down who stops and asks us who is buried in the Mausoleum and whether is it Mary we have no idea and after it seems that they actually try to enter into a theological discussion we excuse ourselves and move on.
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| This is where we want to climb | Car is in the wash - hope the flood is not coming |
CLose to the top we meet also the guards coming down after closing the site (it is 4PM already) but they tell us that we can visit and just be down in at most half an hour. As we get on top we see the Mausoleum it is quite impressive on this plateau and we walk to it to get a better view especially inside. Bibi Miryam Mausoleum enshrines the remains of saintly Bibi Maryam who according to ibn Battuta had ruled the city until a few years before his visit. As such it cannot be entered so we have to examine it from outside.
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| Qalhat - Mausoleum of Bibi Maryam | Well preserved among the ruins |
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| Looking from the front | Inside some decorations survive |
We wander around the ruins and discover more graves and a few arches, it is quite exciting to walk around this archaeological area. In the distance we can see the ruins of the old lighthouse which means the city likely extended up to that point which is quite far away. After a nice walk around the ruined walls we have to descend back to the car and continue on to Sur our stop for the night.
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| Graves(?) | Excavated arch |
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| Mausoleum in the clouds | Impressive |
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| City extended to the far lighthouse | Now we have to get down |
This hotel is the most difficult to find as we do not have exact GPS coordinates for it but in the end ww find it. Compared to the other hotels it is less luxurious and feels more dirty including a leaky toilet in one of the two bathrooms. Outside the parking lot is next to a dirt lot where goats are kept fed by the locals. In the evening we have to go to buy some additional provisions from a nearby supermarket - even here the majority of items seems to be geared towards the Indian population. Returning we have a quick dinner before going to sleep - tomorrow we start our way back towards Dubai.
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| Hotel - not easy to find | Quite spartan |
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| View from the window | Fed by the locals |
Today we start with a visit of Sur an important Omani port and the only remaining dhow building yard in Oman. It is certainly a commercial center and a quite busy town as it is quite difficult to reach the center due to traffic jams.
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| Sur shops | ......and customers:) |
Soon we arrive at the harbor near the dhow shipyard - it is a surreal view with boats stranded likely due to low tide and the area looking deserted. in a courtyard however we see people still working on a dhow so construction still seems to be ongoing, albeit really slowly, at this last dhow building yard in Oman.
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| Dhow shipyard..looks deserted | Guess it is low tide?! |
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| They are still building dhows | Restored dhow |
The area however seems popular with wildlife especially sandpipers and flamingoes. We are quite excited and pull on the side of road to take pictures of the flamingoes even though they are quite far away before moving on.
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| Sandpipers are seemingly everywhere in the world | Flamingoes are more rare |
We know that Sur has multiple forts and we are looking for them - the first one that we find however cannot be really visited as the road to it is freshly paved and there is no sidewalk or a safe way to the top of the hill.
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| Wonder if we can visit it? | Really new road...no luck getting up to the castle |
We decide to follow also the next sign of the main road that we see towards a castle which is called Bilad Sur. It seems that we will regret the decision as soon we enter some really narrow streets where we even meet another car so we have to drive backwards to ensure it can pass. But soon after it opens up into a large parking area near the castle walls. However there is no entrance so we walk around through the pictoresque town till we find the entrance. The guardian seems very excited to see us and gives us a lot of materials about Oman and the area before letting us enter. The fort seems to be recently restored and looks interesting to explore with no one else around.
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| Bilad Sur castle exterior | Houses near the castle |
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| Entrance to the castle | Courtyard with unusual tower |
We explore the fort for twenty minutes visiting the rooms looking at the cannons and rifles and examing the large tower and the different other details in the beautiful castle. It is a nice visit and we are happy that we made the side trip to this less explored fort.
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| Cannon in the middle of the courtyard | Interesting lattice type ceiling |
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| Book shelf in castle | Rifles are used for decoration in the room |
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| Close up of tower | Fountain in the courtyard |
Leaving Sur we are driving now on the inland route to Nizwa - this is the old route to Sur from Muscat before the opening of the coastal highway. The inland route skirts the edge of the Empty Quarter the huge area of sand dunes that lies in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula and there are a few side roads for 4x4 only that enter the dunes for some adventurous driving. We decide to try to see the desert in Mintrib one of the major points of access to the dunes and drive through houses till the edge of the desert for some glimpses of the dunes past the new houses and tents on the side of the road.
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| Old castle | And new home |
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| Desert in the distance | Camel by the side of the road |
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| Sand dunes just beyond the houses | Traditional tent near the road |
Our next stop is Mudayrib which was a rich town in medieval times on the back of its trade to Africa and therefore has according to our guidebook an interesting old downtown area protected by a string of six watchtowers. We get in the old town area easily and park near an abandoned store. We are surprised from the beginning at how beautiful the downtown area looks it is almost like a movie set for a medieval movie. The houses all look like medieval fortresses and we even see our first tower right in the middle of the town.
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| Mudayrib downtown | Right next to the parking spot |
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| Watchtower in the middle of downtown | Let's get lost |
We decide to explore a bit and follow some narrow passageways to a nearby hill where we can actually climb to another tower. Surprisingly most houses are abandoned, we assume most people moved into newer homes so it is almost like moving through a ghost city.
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| Narrow passageways | Wooden door |
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| Climbing up...nice view | This is the goal..one of the six watchtowers |
The views from the top are great, we can see the whole valley and we understand why there is a tower at the top. From here we can see the majority of the other towers spread out across the hills it looks impressive and it must have been something to see it way back when it was a major town.
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| Nice view from up top | Another tower in the distance |
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| And another one | Towers protected the caravan town |
The next stop after Mudayrib is Izki already close to our hotel for the night. While we know that Izki has an old town area it is quite difficult for us to find and we have to turn around a few times until reaching it. What remains of the fort and old town is quite impressive and it is surprising how well preserved the walls are and that we can wander freely through the old streets. There are pottery shards on the street and interesting details and arches in the walls all around us and again we feel like archaeologists discovering the remains of an old city.
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| Old town Izki | Mostly only ruins remain |
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| Parts of the wall are still standing | Large mosque was built nearby |
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| Intact arches | Old pottery |
The most impressive parts of the ruins are the remaining watchtowers. You can climb in one of them to the top window for some nice views and they look intimidating from the outside even in their decrepit state. We walk around exploring until finally we have to leave towards our hotel.
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| House near wall | You can easily climb to the window (we did it) |
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| Surviving watchtower | Some make it and some don't |
Before the hotel we stop also in Birkat al Mawz which is well known due to its fort and falaj. The fort door is open but when they see us they close it - not the same hospitality as in Al Hazm castle. We drive around and on the back side of the castle we find the falaj - it is inscribed in the Unesco Heritage List with a few more falaj-es in Oman.
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| Birkat al Mawz entrance | View from the back with Unesco falaj |
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| Close up of view from back | Important falaj |
The hotel looks like it is in the middle of nowhere but there is no hotel closer to Nizwa that we could find online and is has nice rooms and beautiful sunsets in the evening. The kitchen is also useful in the mornings - in fact most hotels that we stayed in Oman at are actually apartment hotels with two rooms and a kitchen and overall Oman is likely the country with most apartment hotels we have been.
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| Hotel in the middle of nowhere | View from window |
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| Different camera - different colors | Sunset |
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| Good kitchen | And a large living room |
In the evening we go out and eat at the top restaurant in Nizwa on Tripadvisor which also has some traditional Omani food but the food overall is a bit too dry for our taste - I think we are used to the sauces and tzatziki that accompany this type of food.
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| Hummus in the evening | Dry traditional food (no sauce) |
After eating we drive to the Nizwa souq to visit it in the evening which seems like a good time after our experience in Muscat. The parking lot is full but the souq is less visited. Still the stores are open and the sellers are less pushy than in Muscat so we buy a few additional things here before returning to the car and the hotel for the night.
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| Nizwa in the evening | Pottery shop |
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| Lots of pottery shops actually | We had to buy something:) |
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| Al Ayn Bronze Age Tombs |
Today we start with a daytime visit of Nizwa as the day before we couldn't visit the fort which was already closed. On the way we admire the entrance gate to Nizwa - flashy entrance gates to cities are quite common in the region.
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| Nizwa entrance gate | Stores on the side of the road |
Yesterday we didn't notice but today we see that the parking lot where we parked is marked as tourist parking - quite nice from our perspective. The entrance to the old city is quite impressive also but before entering we notice the falaj and have to stop to take a look at it and are rewarded with some little fish swimming in it that are fascinating to look at.
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| Tourist parking lot - very nice to have | Entrance to souq area |
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| Falaj near the entrance | Falaj has little fish in it |
Next we wander through the old city towards to fort seeing the shops also during the day even though today fewer of them seem open.
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| Inside the old city | Pottery is everywhere |
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| Not all stores are open | Tourist shopping area |
Nizwa and the fort are quite popular and we can see that from the number of people inside. The fort is well known for its oversized tower that overshadows the whole castle. It also has a small museum inside that we intend to visit next.
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| Entrance to Nizwa castle | Old town area with castle and new mosque |
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| Big tower in Nizwa Fort | Entrance to exhibit area |
The museum has some interesting exhibits regarding Omani culture, dresses and especially jewelry. We walk through it and soon we are at the entrance to the tower.
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| Traditional dress | Silver was a symbol of status |
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| Silver bangles | And quite a few rings |
Climbing the tower is difficult due to the number of visitors but it is interesting because of the many traps set for invaders including gaps in steps so invaders can fall down and slits to throw down oil. On top it seems that there are fewer people so we try to find a way to peek over the walls.
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| Going up the tower | Throw oil down on the invaders! |
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| Missing steps so invaders will fall down | Safely on top of the tower |
First we try to cannon holes however it is difficult to see through the holes but we can also climb the parapet from which the view is much better and we can see the nearby oasis and the city including a few defensive towers.
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| Where is it pointing? | Towards the oasis it seems |
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| Mosque view from the parapet | Old town that we walked through at night |
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| We will be going that way | Tower in the distance |
There are some interesting details through the castle as we walk from room to room. Some rooms are even furnished and you can touch and examine almost everything as you walk through the fort.
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| Ceiling detail | Door detail |
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| Ceramics in one model room | Typical sitting place |
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| Ablution basin | Metal plates in a room |
There are also of course lots of narrow passageways with overlooks above them to be used for defense. More surprising there are carvings on the wall that look almost prehistoric while the bullets next to them look a lot more modern.
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| Looking down at a passageway | Going through the same passageway |
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| Interesting and unexpected carvings | Bullets on the wall |
After the fort we return to the car and drive through Nizwa towards Tanuf our next goal. The going is slow initially due to traffic jams but soon it opens up and we arrive at Tanuf. Tanuf old city was destroyed similar to other towns we have visited in Oman however the destruction happened much more recent specifically in 1950s by the British RAF at the request of the Sultan in the Jebel War. Initially we do not know what we can see except the surviving mosque and the falaj but after entering the ruins the exploration is much more interesting.
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| Tanuf surviving mosque | Falaj flowing through the site |
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| Only walls remain | A whole city destroyed by bombs |
There are trails going in every direction, you can climb and enter houses and there are pottery shards everywhere. It is quite interesting and there are lots of places to explore.
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| You can climb some walls | Ground is full of pottery shards |
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| Informal trail through the grounds | Surviving wall with windows |
Some walls are still standing and it looks like the city is almost lived in and then you turn the corner and see that the remaining walls are missing. It also looks like a maze and sometimes we almost feel like we are lost but we can climb on the walls and get our bearings as needed.
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| Looks almost lived in | Detail on the walls |
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| Looking from the top of the wall | Destroyed city is like a maze |
Even the interior of the houses can be interesting looking at the hints of how the houses looked like before the bombing. We wander around for quite some time before deciding to return to the car.
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| This looks like it was a great building | So many places to explore |
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| You can see where shelves were | Still standing doorway (with stairs going up) |
Exiting we notice another part of of the falaj on the outside of the site which looks more original and still flowing nicely. Driving out we also notice an old Omani cemetery nearby and we cannot wonder if it has any relationship to the bombing - are the dead buried here maybe?
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| Falaj exiting the city | Still flowing nicely |
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| Old Omani cemetery | Another view of the cemetery |
Our next stop, albeit short, is Bahla fort. This is a huge fort and well worth visiting however we already visited one fort for the day and plan one more later so we skip Bahla this time and only take pictures from the outside.
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| Bahla entrance - looks interesting but no time | Bahla - newly renovated |
The fort that we are going to visit is Jabrin fort which our guidebooks are hyping up as being the one fort that you shouldn't miss when in Oman. From outside it doesn't seem so special so we decide to enter it to examine the interior.
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| Entrance to Jabrin castle inner keep | Not that decorated |
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| Except by guns | And some jars |
The interior courtyard that we enter is impressive when looking up with passages passing at different levels. We also have a preview of how much we have to climb in order to visit get to the top.
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| Interior courtyard wall - not that adorned | This looks more impressive |
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| Wonder what you can see from up there? | Looking from high up..nice view |
But before climbing we visit the kitchen which here is furnished with lots of cooking utensils and also a few of the side rooms on this floor which have some furnishings.
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| Lots of cooking utensils | Maybe for cows? |
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| Coffer on the hallway | Wall decoration |
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| Drawings on the wall | Book stand |
On the next level however most rooms are furnished and some of them, especially the biggest one have beatifully, intricated decorated ceilings. This is likely the reason why Jabrin is so well known and we start to look in every room for them.
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| Sitting room | One of the many furnished rooms |
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| Tallest room in Jabrin castle | Beautiful ceiling |
A few more stairwells and we are on top with a great view of the palm plantation nearby and the courtyard.
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| Going up | Or down? |
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| Falaj and date plantation | Lots of palm trees in the distance |
On top is also a mosque with a beautiful ceiling and detail on the wooden beams. It is certainly one of the most beautiful rooms we have seen in Oman so we are happy that we decided to stop here. After this we go down and go around the castle for a look a the back of the castle which is less renovated and looks more "real" than the renovated front.
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| Beautiful ceiling | Detail on the ceiling |
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| Jabrin from the back | More real than the renovated front |
The last stop for the day is at the Al Ayn beehive tombs. These are Bronze Age tombs and since finding out about them we wanted to visit them as it seems almost incredible that they survived all this time but we are not sure about the state of the road which is described different from book to book. However given how much the situation has changed across the country we brave the drive and the road almost to the tombs is paved. At the end we just park the car a bit off road and walk the last few hundred meters to the hill where the tombs are located and climb towards them.
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| Al Ayn beehive tombs with the Comb in the background | Getting closer |
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| Surprising how well preserved they are | Stones have fallen off from some |
From nearby the tombs still look impressive and we look in side them and around them and explore a bit more the area. The views of the mountains behind them is quite impressive and it seems like a good reason to build them here. After exploring for some time we have to return to the car as we still have a long road ahead of us back to Dubai.
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| Some tombs have entrances | But there is nothing inside |
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| View from the back | Tomb ridge |
On the way to Dubai we catch the sunset which as in all desert locations is quite impressive. We buy gas one more time as it is much cheaper here that in UAE and then we drive to the border.
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| Setting sun | Almost gone |
The border is surprisingly empty with only us and one other family and we pass easily even though the whole car appears to be x-rayed at some point. The border crossing is in Al Ain so in a way we went full circle and now at least the road back to Dubai is a known one that we have taken already twice. To our surprise we enter an area where suddenly there area cars parked on the side of the road and people try to pass in front of our car to a stadium - we find out later that there is a football game between Real Madrid and AC Milan that was oversold which is likely the reason for all the commotion. FInding the hotel takes a bit and the parking has a barrier which the attendant has trouble lifting it seems so we have to go twice inside the hotel to ask him to do it. We also have to by some additional provisions from a Spinner grocery store nearby and we also buy something from McDonalds for a quick dinner. After that we get up to our room to recuperate after the long day and prepare for the next one.
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| Dubai hotel kitchen | Spacious living room |
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