Travelling Around Britain and the World

Tuesday, 20 November 2018

Oman (7): Misfat Al Abriyyin, Wadi Bani Awf and Nakhl

A Charming Village, 50 km Off-road and a Fort of Ancient Origin

Descent from the Jebel Shams

Oman
Having driven up to almost 3,000m yesterday afternoon, our first task after breakfast was drive back down from the sunlit, but distinctly chilly uplands into the warm embrace of the valley below.

Y followed the same (and only) road which sometimes lacks tarmac…

Descending the Jebel Shams

…even quite low down….

Descending the Jebel Shams

….back to Al Hamra, this time driving through the centre rather than seeking out the restored old houses in the backstreets.

Al Hamra

Our first stop would be at Misfat al Abriyyin, the village that can be seen lining the ridge above Al Hamra in the photo above. After that we would make our way back to Muscat, though not by quite as straight a line as the map suggests and with several stops on the way.

From the Jebel Shams are route back to Muscat was not quite as straight as the line on the map suggests

Misfat al Abriyyin

The houses on the ridge are large, new (or still under construction) and opulent, they were not our reason for visiting Misfat.

New builds on the ridge, Misfat al Abriyyin

It is the cluster of houses beyond the ridge, some well cared for, some crumbling…

The old lanes of Misfat al Abriyyin

…and the large well-irrigated cleft in the rocks that drags in the visitors.

Irrigated area, Misfat al Abriyyin

We wandered the narrow lanes between the buildings…

Misfat al Abriyyin

….and the paths between the palms…

Misfat al Abriyyin

….and the irrigation channels.

Misfat al Abriyyin

Some buildings are particularly impressive.

Some of Misfat al Abriyyin's less likely dwellings

As the National Day holiday extended until the holiday for The Prophet’s Birthday, holiday-making locals were arriving bearing picnic baskets.

Going for a picnic (no women required) Misfat al Abriyyin

Misfat is a lovely place even if the name sounds a bit iffy in English, but there is little to do once you have had a walk round so we moved on.

Wadi Bani Awf

After returning to Al Hamra we turned east, back into the mountains, heading for a pass that would take us to the coastal plain.

We followed a well-made road to the top of the pass at around 2000m where it ran out of tarmac...

The tarmac disappears at the top of the pass

….then stopped to have a look.

We'll have a look once we've posed for a piccie

The 50km off-road route would take us down to and along Wadi Bani Awf until we emerged on the coastal plain at Al Awabi. From the top we could see a large part of the route, including the village of Bilad Sayt which would provide a surprise or two. The journey, which takes a couple of hours, is universally described as the most demanding off-road drive in Oman; four-wheel drive is essential, as is the knowledge of how to use it. Conditions were good, it had been dry for months, but I was happy that we had a driver of Y’s experience at the wheel.

The Wadi Bani Awf route can be traced from the village, bottom left, into the centre of the picture before disappearing behind the montains

From the start the route was challenging...

Starting down to Wadi Bani Awf

...but although some sections dropped sharply others were level.

Down to Wadi Bani Awf

The road would have been impassable after rain, but even under dry conditions the lightest touch on the brakes sent the car sliding over the loose surface. The Toyota Landcruiser, so sure-footed in the Wahiba Sands, was here outmanoeuvred by the mixed flocks of nimble sheep and goats who forage in this arid wasteland.

A mixed flock of sheep and goats find something to eat

The descent was never a white-knuckle ride, Y was too calm and competent for that, but it was an exhilarating drive through remarkable desert scenery.

Near the bottom, we saw water flowing from a cleft in the rocks….

Water running, well trickling, from a cleft in the rocks, Wadi Bani Awf

…and where there is water, there is vegetation and people.

Water in the desert, Wadi Bani Awf

Bilad Sayt, Youthful Enterprise and a Remarkable Football Pitch

Two young lads had set up an impromptu stall selling coffee and dates. Y decided to support the youthful entrepreneurs and spent a few hundred baisa (the Omani rial – worth roughly £2 – is divided into 1,000 baisa) on three coffees. I applauded their spirit, but would have preferred a hotter cup of coffee.

Coffee in the desert, Wadi Bani Awf

A couple of kilometres down the road we passed a football field. I did not believe my eyes, so Y stopped the car….

Y stopped the car and I walked back to have a look

….and I walked back and there, all alone in the desert on a rare patch of flat land really was an astro-turf football pitch. Y offered no explanation nor did he tell us it is called Audi Bilad Sayt Football Field. There is, of course, a reason for its existence and the clue is in the name; it was made by Audi for an advertisement. I do not normally link to adverts, but this 4 minute YouTube film explains all – though I doubt Audi actually ‘cares’ any more than any other major industrial concern.

The Audi Bilad Sayt Football Field

This part of the route runs alongside Snake Canyon a deep, narrow, sinuously twisting canyon that can be walked by the adventurous in 5 or 6 hours, though the ‘walk’ involves abseiling, 5m jumps into pools, some swimming and maybe a few of the snakes that gave the canyon its name.

The opening at the top of the Snake Canyon, a long twisting cleft in the desert

Our route twisted and turned along the valley sides…

Wadi Bani Awf

….but eventually the valley began to widen out and dwellings became more frequent.

The valley widens, Wadi Bani Awf

Finally we emerged alongside the Wadi that gave the route its name and reached Al Awabi, a small town where we stopped at an Indian restaurant for a late lunch of dahl, pickle, vegetable curry, chicken curry, rice, and the inevitable salad.

After lunch we drove on 40km to Nakhl (sometimes Nakhal).

Nakhl Fort

Nakhl Fort was built round an irregular shaped rock by the Sassanids rulers of Persia (ruled 224-651 CE) to protect their empire from marauding Arabs. It has undergone many changes since and most of today’s fort was built in Omani style in the 17th century when Nakhl was a stronghold of the Imams of Nizwa. The gateway and towers, though, date only from 1834.

Nakhl Fort

Despite all the changes, the influence of the irregular shaped rock still remains.

The irregular rock determines the shape of the battlements, Nakhl Fort

We have seen a number of Omani forts and the interiors are generally similar, the rooms furnished with carpets and cushions and, in this case, a peg to hang your rifle.

and a peg to hang yoyr rifle, Nakhl Fort

Nakhl has a rare example of a bed.

Bedroom, Nakhl Fort

…and a room with the ubiquitous studded chests, a mirror and, unusually, some pottery.

Room with studded chests, a mirror and pottery

One particular jug caught my eye.

Jug, Nakhl Fort

My grandmother had a large collection of Welsh lustre jugs, made, I believe, in the 19th century at Creigiau pottery north of Cardiff. When we cleared her house I went through the collection, discarded the many chipped jugs and kept the other three. They are, I have to admit, rather crude and worth little (you can get one on eBay for £5 or so) but I like them.

My Welsh lustre jugs

The similarity with the Nakhl jug is obvious; the flower decoration is identical in style, colour and technique, though theirs is a bit classier. So, how did a Welsh lustre jug end up in this corner of Arabia? I have no idea.

Outside, the battlements are more varied than most of its type,…

The battlements, Nakhl Fort

..the cannon must once have been threatening,…

Cannon, Nakhl Fort

…and there is a fine view over the town to the mountains beyond.

Nakhl and the moutains beyond from the battlements of the fort

Ain A'Thawwarah Hot Spring

We left the fort, and on the way out of Nakhl sat for a while in the only traffic jam we encountered in Oman. Unlike other Middle Eastern traffic jams we have experienced no one was leaning on their horn or attempting to prize open gaps in the traffic by inching forward into imaginary spaces; all was orderly and calm, as is the Omani way.

We eventually reached a crossroads beside a stream, the cause of the congestion.

All water is attractive in the desert, and this stream was full of children and surrounded by cars, some parked, many more touring around looking for somewhere to park. Suddenly a car pulled out in front of us, a parking space opened up and with deft alacrity Y put us in it. ‘Ain A‘Thawwarah,’ he said. He may have added that it was very popular in the holidays, but we could see that.

A stream full of children, Ain a'Thawwarah

We picked our way along a crowded walkway. On the far bank families had driven up the stream and chosen their picnic places. Many had finished eating and the men were packing away while the women supervised the children in the water.

Picnics and water play, Ain a'Thawwarah

We passed a water-seller dressed like those in Morocco, except sporting Oman’s national flag – I was unsure if we were still on the National Day Holiday or whether it was now the Prophet’s Birthday Holiday, but nobody really cared.

Y and a flag flying water seller, Ain a'Thawwarah

We finally reached the source of all the excitement, a warm spring gushing from a hole in the rock. The resulting pool was full of men, boys and young girls. In a few years the conventions of Omani life will cut these girls off from such freedoms; men may act like boys if they wish, and many here were, but women must never act like girls.

Ain a'Thawwarah hot spring

Back to Muscat and on to Salalah

The drive back to the big city was straightforward. Y suggested we have coffee before he dropped us at the airport for our internal flight south to Salalah, though a café round the back of a petrol station was not the finest setting for a farewell. We had a snack of thin, crisp Omani bread and melted cheese, which we enjoyed without knowing it would be the only dinner we would have that day.

Coffee, bread and melted cheese with Y

Our flight was delayed and we reached Salalah well after dark and transferred to our hotel in time to go to bed.

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Location: Nakhl, Oman

Monday, 19 November 2018

Oman (6): Bahla, Jabreen, Al Hamra and the Jebel Shams

Pottery, Forts, Restored Mudbrick Houses and Mountains

Bahla, a Pottery and a Fort

Oman

After a leisurely start and a good breakfast (ful again again, see Ibra, we left the upmarket Golden Tulip, drove back into central Nizwa and continued 40 km east to Bahla, a slightly smaller though still substantial town.

Today's journey roughly follows the purple line from Nizwa to Bahla and the Jebel Shams

The last couple of decades have seen much of the Omani population rehoused in efficient modern accommodation. As we saw in Ibra the old mudbrick houses have often been left to rot – and without frequent maintenance such buildings deteriorate quickly. In Bahla some restoration is taking place under the guidance of UNESCO. Y drove us through old narrow streets to visit a pottery.

The potter is a friend of Y, but unfortunately, he was out. In his absence we had a quick look round his workshop….

….and at his kilns…

Workshop, Bahla Pottery
Kilns at Bahla Pottery

…and drove out of town to yet another viewpoint by a telephone mast where we could look back on Bahla and its fort. Originally a late medieval construction the fort has undergone a restoration so extensive it tipped over into renovation and Bahla almost lost its UNESCO World Heritage listing. Y told us it will be open to the public soon, other sources say it already is; either way it looks impressive from a distance.

Bahla Fort

Jabreen Castle

Jabreen Castle (spelling varies) is a few kilometres to the south.

Jabreen Castle

In 1624 Nasir bin Murshid al Yaruba established the Yaruba dynasty of hereditary Imams who would rule for the next 120 years. He set about removing the Portuguese, who had held the coastal strip from Muscat to Sur since the 1580s, but died before the job was completed. His cousin Sultan bin Saif succeeded him in 1649 and by the end of his thirty-year reign Oman was free, united and prosperous.

His son, Bil'arab bin Sultan had spent the final decade of his father’s rule building Jabreen Castle and on becoming Imam in 1679 he moved the capital there from Nizwa.

As a residence and centre of government Jabreen is a castle rather than merely a fort and there is much to see; conscientiously following the audio guide filled the remainder of our morning.

Courtyard, Jabreen Castle

Unfortunately, Bil’arab’s reign was largely spent fighting his brother Saif who fancied being Imam himself. In 1692 Bil’arab was besieged in Jabreen, all seemed lost and faced with defeat it is said he prayed that he might die. God granted the request and he is buried in a small crypt near the entrance. Maybe the story is true, or maybe he killed himself or was murdered by his own men. Bil’arab might have our sympathy, but Saif became a wise and conscientious ruler who greatly improved the lot of his people.

The grave of Bil'arab bin Sultan, Jabreen Castle

On the same level are the stores where dates were piled for eating during the six months when there are no fresh ones. Under their own weight they ooze ‘date honey’ which was collected in the channels. It is best eaten, but in extremis can be boiled up and poured through murder holes onto the heads of unwelcome visitors.

Date store, Jabreen Castle

Following the audio guide, we dropped in on the madrasa...

Madrasa, Jabreen Castle

…examined the calligraphy on the stairs…

Caligraphy on the stairs, Jabreen Castle

…and admired the richly decorated ceilings.

Ceiling, Jabreen Castle

Many rooms have just carpets and cushions, as at Nizwa...

One of the plainer rooms, Jabreen Castle

...but the Sun and Moon Hall, where the Imam met his advisers and received important guests has 14 windows in two rows designed to catch the light of the sun by day and moon by night – and moonlight in Oman’s cloudless skies can be extraordinarily bright, as we discovered while attempting to star gaze. The rows of unglazed windows also work as a wind tower providing natural air conditioning.

The Sun and Moon Hall, Jabreen Castle

The courtroom is remarkable only in having two doors, one of normal size and one much smaller through which convicted miscreants were made to exit, bowing low in penance.

Courtroom, Jabreen Castle

From the roof we had a view over the palms to Jabreen village.

View from the castle roof, Jabreen

Al Hamra

Our tour over we located Y and drove 30km north to the small town of Al Hamra where we ate lunch in an Indian restaurant set in a row of modern businesses. Spicy chicken in a curry sauce with rice, bread and salad was more basic than other Omani lunches, but pleasant enough.

The older quarters of Al Hamra have their quota of the familiar abandoned and decaying mud brick buildings, but some have been restored and opened to visitors.

The restored and the crumbling, Al Hamra

A large house had been set out as it was in its heyday…

Restored house, Al Hamra

…and was overseen by Sultan Qaboos, who is always present, if only in effigy.

Sultan Qaboos, restored house, Al Hamra

In one large room a woman was grinding flour ….

Grinding corn, Al Hamra

…while another was making Omani bread. The same technique of wiping dough onto a hot-plate by hand is used in India for making roti, but Omani bread is much thinner and crisps quickly.

Making bread, Al Hamra

Once we had tasted the bread and pronounced it good the bread-maker turned her attention to producing cooking oil, pounding beans (of unknown origin) by hand.

Extracting vegetable oil, El Hamra

Having observed all this domestic activity, we retired to the sitting room for coffee. Omani coffee, strong, black, sweet and laced with cardamom is always worth lingering over.

Taking coffee, Al Hamra

We had previously seen very few Omani women. – the few women we had encountered at work, like the receptionists at Sur and the bar tender at Nizwa, were Filipinas but here there were not only the kitchen workers but a young woman who walked round the house with the air of being the person in charge. I doubt, though, that even she would have taken coffee with the men, which Lynne was expected to do as a matter of course.

Jebel Shams

The Al-Hajar mountains form a high rocky crescent following the shape of the coast but 50-100km inland. On Saturday we had driven from Birkat Al-Mawz into the Jebel Akhdar area of the Al-Hajar, descending on Monday morning. We would now return to the mountains, Al Hamra being the the starting point for the road up Jebel Shams (lit: Mountain of the Sun) at 3,009m (9,872ft) the highest point in Oman.

We quickly left behind the relative green of Al Hamra…/p>

Leaving Al Hamra for the Jebel Shams

…and climbed into a rocky wilderness.

Rocky wilderness, Jebel Shams

The road up Jebel Akhdar is well made and fairly gently graded and yet there was a police check-point at the bottom allowing only four-wheel drive vehicles through and offering advice on mountain driving. The Jebel Shams road is not so well made – not all of it has tarmac – but there was no police presence.

The road up Jebel Shams

We paused to stare into Oman’s ‘Grand Canyon’ – it does not seem to have a name of its own. Although not as big - or as commercialised - as its Arizona namesake it is, by any standards, a large canyon. We had the viewing platform to ourselves,….

Viewing platform for Oman's 'Grand Canyon'

….but canyons are difficult to photograph. The bottom could not be seen without taking a long and perilous walk, or flying a drone.

Oman's 'Grand Canyon'

We did, though, spot a village at the end of the canyon its cultivation terraces cut down a vertiginous rock wall. The village has long been deserted, but we could only wonder what drove people to make their home there.

Village at the head of Oman's 'Grand Canyon'

The road comes to a stop somewhere around the top of the Jebel Shams. Like Jebel Akhdar it is a high rocky plateau riven with deep valleys but devoid of towering peaks. The Jebel Shams Resort, a crescent of linked bungalows where the road ends, provided us with a pleasant room with a sliding door giving access to a picnic table and barbeque pit. In the shade the air was already cool, and once the sun disappeared sitting at the picnic table would require thermals.

We went for a walk in the last of the light. Jebel Shams has two high points, the north ‘summit’, occupied by a military base, is off-limits while the lower southern ‘summit’, just under 3000m was nearer. I can only make an informed guess at how high we were, but Google satellite view put the military base a couple of kilometres away and the land rose very gently in that direction. We followed a trail, maybe W4 which leads to the southern summit, and maybe that is it behind us in the photograph. We were warm enough in direct sunlight, but in the shade the temperature was already plummeting. We headed back to the hotel, picking up a collection of plastic bottles discarded on the trail as we went; it was a small contribution, but better than nothing.

A selfie on the Jebel Shams

Dinner was a routine buffet, but at least the restaurant was warm (experience in China and Mexico have taught us not to take that for granted.)

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Location: Bahla, Oman
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