Wilayat Nizwa : The Wilayat of Nizwa's ancient city streets and buildings
filled with the ghosts of the past contrast with the pretty terraced mountain villages,
thickets, orchards and aflaj of its niya-bat of the Jabal al Akhdhar. Nizwa is the
capital of the Dakhiliyah and its busy souq, which serves people from all over the
region, is both a tourist attraction and a commercial centre.
The Wilayat of Nizwa borders on the wilayats of Adam, Manah and lzki to the south
and east and al Hamra and Bahla to the west. From the north it is overlooked by
the mountain peaks of the Jabal al Akhdhar. It is 170 Kilometres from the Governo
ate of Muscat.Its main features are its huge fort (known as al Shahba'}.
The design of the renovated old souq blends in harmoniously with the Friday mosque
and the fort. The wilayat has a large number of villages as well as two niyabats
- Birkat al Mawz and the Jabal al Akhdhar. The Niyabat of Birkat al Mawz is renowned
for its fine old buildings and the village is typical of an Omani village at its
prettiest and most charming. The recently restored two-storied fort of Bait al Radaidah,
which dates from the 17th century AD, is in Birkat al Mawz. There are turrets set
within its thick mud outer walls, while its interior contains numerous arches and
its walls and ceilings are coated with elegantly patterned gypsum. The old mosque
near the fort, which dates from the same period, was also restored recently.
Wilayat Sumail : The Wilayat of Sumail is a natural paradise, a
fragrant, shady garden with a lush wadi with cultivated plots along its banks that
flows like a river through the middle of it dividing it in two. Wherever the visitor
looks he will see date palms. The wilayat is famous for its dates and it has adopted
the fardh date palm as its emblem.
The Wilayat of Sumail is almost half way between the Wilayat of Nizwa (75 Kilometres)
and the Governorate of Muscat (85 Kilometres). It borders on the Wilayat of Bidbid
to the north, the Western Hajar mountain range to the west, the Wilayat of Izki
to the south and some outlying villages of the Wilayat of Dima wa'l Ta'een to the
east. It has a large number of historic buildings including forts, castles and towers.
Wilayat Bahla : Bahla is one of the oldest towns in the Sultanate.
Archaeologists working on an excavation programme in Bisya and al Ghubrah discovered
sites dating from the third millennium BC, while an old falaj found at al Ghubrah
- in Wadi Bahla - is also believed to date from the third millennium BC.
The Wilayat of Bahla is 200 Kilometres from the Governorate of Muscat. It borders
on the wilayats of Nizwa to the east, Ibri to the west, Adam to the south and al
Hamra to the north. With a population of 51,278 and, a variety of natural features
including wadis, springs and mountains, its villages include Bilad Sait, al Ghafat,
Bisya, Seefam, al Habbi, al Ma'mur and numerous others. The best-known of its wadis
are Wadi Quriyat, Wadi al A'la, Wadi al Nakhr, Wadi al Shar' and Wadi Bahla, and
its springs include Wadhdhah, al Huwaidhar and Ain Seefam. The mountain of Jabal
al Kawr with its shrubs and fruit trees is one of the wilayat's most distinctive
mountains and lies on the border between the Dakhiliyah and Dhahirah regions. From
a distance it looks like a huge dome. There are several villages, caves,wadis and
springs on its slopes including the villages of Sint, Ma'wal, Sant and al Rahbah.
It is an attractive area for tourists because of its gentle climate, clear air and
fragrant trees, and visitors can enjoy the opportunity to marvel at its amazing
rock formations, particularly along the course of Wadi al Naht.
Wilayat Adam : The Wilayat of Adam is in the south of the Dakhiliyah
Region and borders on the wilayats of Bahla, Manah and lzki to the north, Mahawt
and Haima to the south, al Mudhaibi to the east and Ibri to the west. It is 234
Kilometres from the Governorate of Muscat . It has a large number of villages and
bedouin settlements, as well as green oases, orchards, farms, old mosques, souqs,
residential quarters and archaeological sites. Travellers bound for the Wusta Region
and the Governorate of Dhofar stop off in Adam.
The mountain of Jabal al Midhmar to the north of Adam and Jabal Salkh to the west
are among the most attractive tourist spots in the Wilayat of Adam with their trees,
grassy slopes, gazelles, hares, foxes and other wild animals.
In the summer months the bedouin of the Wusta Region migrate to the Wilayat of Adam
for the date harvest and build temporary palm-frond shelters to protect themselves
from the heat. At night the glow of their lamps and the distant bleating of their
sheep and goats impart an inimitable charm to the scene. Over the years the bedouin
have established small settlements which they return to time and time again on their
summer migrations and some have opted to set up permanent villages like San'aa,
al Samiti, Majazah, Wadi Halfain, Ras al Jabal, al Ghabitah, al Hajir, al Ghaidhranah
and Qam al Alam, which receive government support and now have electricity services
and modern housing.
Wilayat Al Hamra : Jabal Shams, the village of Misfah, al Hootah
Cave, Hasat bin Salt, Bait al Safa and Bait al Shari'ah are the main tourist attractions
in the Wilayat of al Hamra, which lies in the north-western part of the Jabal al
Akhdhar range. It borders on the Wilayat of Nizwa to the east and the Wilayat of
Bahla to the south. Its inhabitants live in the centre of the wilayat and the villages
of al Mensur, al Sahmah, al Qaryah, Dhat Khail, Tawi Saleem, Dar al Khair and al
'Aridh, to name but a few. It is renowned for its wadis, aflaj, gardens and orchards,
while the mountain of Jabal Shams, which rises to 12,000 feet above sea level, is
its most significant natural feature. It can be reached via the Wadi Ghul road,
from which it is possible to see the stone village of Sabt Bani Khamis perched on
the edge of a cliff beneath a huge overhanging rock. The slopes of the mountain
are covered with buu and nimt (Sageretia spiciflora) trees, junipers, wild olives,
milkweed and other plants, and the air is cool and refreshig.
A resthouse with several rooms has been built on the mountain and is staffed by
Omanis. A visit to Jabal Shams provides an opportunity to see its rock formations,
dams, mountain villages and wadis. Near the summit there is a breathtaking view
into a chasm called Sharfat al Nakhr cut deep into the heart of the mountain.
Wilayat Manah : The Wilayat of Manah has several old buildings
including forts, towers, mosques and attractive residential quarters. Particularly
impressive is the old quarter in the village of Harat al Bilad with its traditional
houses, mosques, wells, springs, perimeter wall and other features. Surrounded by
date palms, it has been chosen by the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom
as a typical example of Omani architecture.
The Wilayat of Manah is 160 Kilometres from the Governorate of Muscat and comprises
eight villages:- Harat al Bilad, Mu'ammad, al Ma'arra, 'Izz, al Faiqain, al Mahiyul,
Abu Nakhilah and Mitan. It borders on the wilayats of Adam to the south, Izki to
the north and east, and Nizwa to the west.
The road to Manah branches off the Nizwa-Salalah highway, though it can also be
reached by the minor road which links the villages of al Mahiyul and Zakeet in the
Wilayat of lzki. As you approach Manah, you will be greeted by the sight of its
immense forts, including the recently-restored fort of al Faiqain, and the now-ruined
Harat al Bilad with its mud houses, and tangle of arcades and alleyways. There are
three imposing mosques in al Bilad with patterned gypsum mihrabs dating from the
10th century AH/16th century AD and engraved with Quranic verses. They are al 'Aali
mosque (built in 909AH/1503 AD), which has recently been renovated with Omani sarooj
(burnt clay) and has retained its original mihrab, al Ain mosque (built in 911 AH/1505
AD and al Sharah mosque built in 922 AH/1516 AD.
Wilayat Izki : The Wilayat of Izki has some of the oldest sit4s
in the Dakhiliyah Region. The remains of buildings and tombs from an ancient civilization
thousands of years old, which can be seen on the hilltops neighbouring the village
of Zakeet, include a number of small round towers similar to the towers of the Bat
culture. The Wilayat of lzki - 130 Kilometres from the Governorate of Muscat - lies
beneath the slopes of the mountain massif of the Jabal at Akhdhar, which forms its
western border. It borders on the wilayats of Manah and Nizwa to the west and south,
Sumail to the north and some villages of the Wilayat of al Mudhaibi to the east.
Some of the better-known of its 26 villages include Zakeet, al Qaryatain, Seema,
Muqazzah, Qala'at al Awamir, Habl al Hadid, Umtay and Qarut.
Apart from its ancient monuments, the wilayat's most distinctive features are wadis
and open desert. It has numerous forts, castles, towers and old residential quarters,
the most important of which is Izki Fort, which lies between the villages of Nizar
and al Yaman and is said to have been built during the reign of Sultan Said bin
bin Sultan Al Busaidi. Its most significant castle is the citadel of Qala'at al
Awamir, which was built three centuries ago and stands on a rocky hillock. The wilayat's
142 small towers in the wilayat - most villages have at least one - include the
restored tower of Wadi al Hajar. In the village of al Muqazzah there is an old Friday
mosque dating from 1029AH/1619AD with a gypsum-coated mihrab set with glazed earthenware
ornamentation.
Wilayat Bidbid : Bidbid's most striking feature is its flyovers,
which provide the only means of access to the main arterial roads which transit
the wilayat, and it has adopted them as its emblem. Travellers will also be struck
by the palm groves which grow along the banks of the wadi in the village of Fanja
and surround the more distant villages of al Amqat and Hamim like puffs of green
cloud. The Wilayat of Bidbid has been described as the "smiling mouth" of the Dakhiliyah
Region and the crossroads between the Governorate of Muscat and the Sharqiyah, Dakhilyah,
Dhahirah and Wusta regions and the Governorate of Dhofar. Everyone travelling from
any of these regions to Muscat has to pass over the Fanja flyover, which is a reliable,
fast road even during the rainy season. Now that the main dual carriageway has been
completed, a second flyover has been built over Wadi Fanja, so that it now has two
flyovers.
Around 70 Kilometres from the city of Muscat, the Wilayat of Bidbid lies beneath
the Hajar mountain range where it divides into the Western Hajar and the Eastern
Hajar. It borders on the wilayats of Sumail to the south, Dima wa'l Ta'een to the
east and the Governorate of Muscat to the north.