Nizwa Fort

Nizwa Fort is one of the oldest forts in Oman and lies in A'Dakhiliyah

Governorate. It has a unique large round shape. Its height reaches 24 metres, with an outer diameter of 43 metres and an inner diameter of 36 metres. This fort has seven wells and multiple openings for stationing the fighters defending the fort. Nizwa Fort was built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Y`aribi in the middle of the seventeenth century. It was this imam who expelled the Portuguese from Oman. The fort, which took 12 years to build, is linked with a castle by means of intricate corridors. Near the fort and castle is the traditional Nizwa market famous for its artefacts

The fort in Nizwa, Oman is an imposing

 structure – circular gunnery, expansive

 courtyards, ominous murder holes

Bait Al Zubair Museum

Bait Al Zubair Museum is located in Muscat, capital city of the Sultanate of Oman. Oman is an enchanting country that was one of the major civilisations of the ancient world, and has a diverse and magical landscape shrouded in legend and antiquity. Northern Oman is commonly thought to be part of the copper-rich civilisation of Magan, which was mentioned in the Mesopotamian cuneiform texts , while southern Oman’s history is closely connected with frankincense, an aromatic resin that was highly prized throughout the ancient world

TRADITIONAL CRAFT INDUSTRIES 

Bait Al Zubair Museum is dedicated to showcasing important ethnographic artefacts reflecting the highly specialised inherited skills that define Oman’s society, both past and present. Traditional craft industries, once a vital part of the nation’s economy, are now amongst the most important aspects of Oman’s cultural heritage. Age-old skills are customarily passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, but as a result of modernisation Omani artisans are now producing fewer traditional products. Yet it is the traditional goods, produced by individuals or in small family workshops, that are most representative of Oman, its people, their identity and the country’s past

BAIT AL ZUBAIR - THE HOUSE THAT BECAME A MUSEUM 

Bait Al Zubair (House of Al Zubair) is a private museum that opened its carved wooden doors to the public in 1998. It is totally funded by its founders, the Zubair family. The museum displays the family’s collection of Omani artefacts, which is considered to be the finest that is privately owned. With the variety of exhibits, modern display methods and information provided, the museum serves as a real window on Oman’s rich heritage and culture. Since it opened the museum has expanded into a cultural complex that continues to evolve and is internationally recognised. 

Bait Al Zubair is proud to exhibit two magnificent old canons presented by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the museum on the occasion of its opening. The museum is one of country’s architectural icons and in 1999 was the proud recipient of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ Award for Architectural Excellence, the first time it was awarded in Oman

Falaj Daris

Falaj Daris is one of the largest falaj in Oman and lies

 in Wilayat Nizwa in A'Dakhiliyah Governorate. It is a Dawoodi Falaj

It consists of two branches: The “Big Branch” running for a length

 of 1,700 metres, and the "Small Branch” with a length of 1,900 metres. Falaj

 Daris stems from Wadi Al Abyad (White Valley). A lot of this wilayt's (district’s)

 residents depend on Falaj Daris to water their crops that extend from Shariat

 Al Falaj in Daris to the market area

The entrance to Falaj Daris

Falaj Daris is one of the most fam

mous Dawoodi aflaj in Oman and the

largest falaj in the Interior Region. It

has a powerful flow that exceeds 2000

liters / second and its water is of high

quality (electric conductivity of 477 mic

crosimens / cm. Ph: 7.3 temperature:

29 degrees centigrade). Falaj Daris

has two branches: the large branch

which is about 1700 meters long with

a source depth of 17.5 meters, and the

small branch which has less water. This

branch is 1900 meters long and it flows

from Wadi Al-Abyadh and its source

depth is about 16 meters. Both the large

and the small branches are joining at a

point called «Fardh Al-Multaqa», loc

cated in Wadi Al-Abyadh. The total of

the falaj channels from the source to

the demand area is about 7990 m. feed

the Falaj with water. The most import

tant wadis that feed the Falaj are Wadi

Al-abyadh, Wadi Al-Hijri, Wadi AlMassalah,

Wadi Kammah and Wadi

Al-Suwaihiriya

Falaj Daris in Nizwa which is of the dawoodi type

 is undoubtedly one of the most important in the Sultanate

Site Description:

 Falaj Daris is located in Willayat Nizwa underneath the foothill of

 Al-Jebal Al-Akhadar, 180 kilometers away from Muscat Governorate 

In addition to the role of Falaj Daris as the source of water for

 irrigating farms and gardens, its surroundings have also been developed

 into a public park for local and foreign visitors who are usually fascinated

 by the sprawling canals of the falaj

True to the saying that water is life, one of the

 canals of Falaj Daris irrigation palm, mango, banana

 and other plants in this farm in Nizwa

Nizwa souq

Nizwa Souq is about a two-hour drive from Muscat. The central

 market stands outside the renovated fort. Here you can purchase

 antiquities, pottery and silver jewellery

Nizwa silver craft is considered to be the best in the

 country. As always you can haggle for your purchase and you

 may be surprised at the deals you can find

Silver has been one of Oman’s most precious metals for four thousand years. Once considered a symbol of wealth, silver is used in modern day (khanjar) weaponry as well as jewellery. Visitors to Nizwa, a place famous for the work of its silversmiths, will find some superb silver pieces at Nizwa Souq. Other special purchases include traditional crafts, gold jewellery, brass coffee pots, textiles and frankincense. The finest pottery can be bought at the nearby town of Bahla

Nizwa market of beautiful tourist sites

The site of one of the oldest souq in the country, this extensive
 marketplace is dedicated mostly to fruit and vegetables, meat
 and fish, all of which are housed in new building

Part of the souq (nearest the fort) is dedicated to handicrafts
 and caters specifically to the passing tourist trade. Nizwa is particularly
 famous for crafting silver khanjars (tribal curved daggers).l

The city, famous for its handicrafts and agricultural products, has an expansive souq with an array of products. It is one of the most important in the country besides Muttrah. The souq bustles with vendors selling everything from meat, fish, fruits and vegetables to spices, dates, gold and silverware. Nizwa is renowned for its silver jewelry which is considered to be the best in the country. Its people are masters in Khanjar making (curved dagger), recognized for its distinctive style and patterns. They also make copper ware, coffee pots,swords, leather goods and pottery

Some pictures of Nizwa market

Bayt Ar Ridaydah

This castle is called Bayt Ar Ridaydah from its proximity to an old dam that stopped the valley waters from flooding Birkat Al Mouz in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate. Falaj Khatmain, which springs from Al Jabal Al Akhdar (Green Mountain) and which has been added to the  UNESCO World Heritage list, passes this castle.

Bayt Ar Ridaydah dates back to the seventeenth century. It lies

 about 24 kilometers from Nizwa in A'Dakhiliyah Governorate, at the entrance

 of Wadi Al Muaydin. The Castle combines the defensive and traditional

 elements of architecture, as its thick walls, topped with towers constructed of

 brick clay, hide an architecture elegance that is revealed in the shape of

 multiple arches, painted ceilings and elaborate plaster engravings.

Bayt Ar Ridaydah Castle has been converted into a heritage weapons
 museum which displays the historical progression traditional weapons in Oman

Falaj Al-Khatmain

Falaj Al Khatmain is considered a Dawoodi falaj in the Interior region. The total length of the falaj from the mother well up to Sharia (the point at which water first appears on the surface of the earth) is about 2,450 meters with mother well depth of 17.5 meters. It has no sub-branches and is fed by wadi Al Maiden, one of the most important wadis which springs from the foothill of Al Jebal Al akhdar and flowing in a semi circle to its branches on the outs skirts of the villages surrounding the cultivated areas. It is most characterized by its three equal water divisions at the Sharia, when three equal balls are thrown prior to the dividing point; each ball is carried away in the three channels indicating the ingenuity of the falaj design

Site Description:

 It is located in Niabat Birkat Al-Mouz,

which is one of the villages of Al-Dakhiliyah

 region renowned for its suburbs and

archeological features. It intermingled with

the village to draw a spectacular picture

of a beautiful Omani village. It can easily be

 reached by visitors via Muscat-Nizwa

 . It is the entrance of Al Jabal Al Akhdar

Falaj Al Khatmain, one of the most famous dawoodi

 aflaj, is a major source of irrigation in Birkat Al Mouz

some pictures for falaj al khatmain

At the entrance to the town, Falaj Al Khatmain is masterfully

 channeled into three courses for the effective irrigation of

 the farms in the Niyabat,which are known for producing a variety of dates, vegetables and fodder