Phakkha Levesque

Feb 10, 20233 min read

Nizwa-The Historic Town of Oman

Explore the historic town and the most visited monument in the Sultanate of Oman.

Nizwa City View

Nizwa City

Nizwa was the capital city of Oman during a successive period. It is located in the central part of Ad Dakhiliyah between six Wilayat: Izki, Jebel Akhdar, Manah, Adam and Bahla. It is 140 km away from Muscat international airport. Nizwa is distinguished by its traditional markets that are run by Omani vendors. Tourists can visit markets for livestock, vegetables, handicrafts, silverware, Halwa (Omani dessert), and others. There are more than 50 Falajs in Nizwa, among them falaj Daris and Al-Khatmain have been listed on the World Heritage List. These Falajs irrigate palm trees that adorn the city. This first tip should be a juicy one. It’ll keep your readers with you.

The city includes Nizwa Fort which was built next to Harat Al-Aqer (archeological site) which is estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. Visitors could see the most ancient mosques in Oman which are Shawathina mosque and Jami' Sa'al. The city was chosen as the best destination for tourists in Arab the world in 2022.

The Mosques next to Nizwa Fort

Nizwa Fort

Nizwa Fort is located in the heart of the city. It is the most antique and famous fort in Oman. It is also known as Ash' Shahba because of its height and fortified strength. It was built by Imam Sultan bin Saif bin Malik Al-Yarubi during his reign (1649-1679 AD), it took 12 years to complete. It has a height of about 24 meters and an inner diameter of 39 meters. It is the largest circular tower in the Arabian Peninsula. It is characterized by its defensive style, which contains several methods as hot date syrup sumps that are equipped and prepared to deter enemies. The Fort is surrounded by an old wall that is 1,200 years old, it connects it to the Al Aqer archaeological site.

Inside Nizwa Fort surrounded by an old wall 1,200 years old.

Cannons

There are four cannons in the fort, the Swedish and the Portuguese cannons are located at the main entrance of the fort. The other two are the British bounder and Ottoman, are located at the castle entrance. 21 cannons have been recently added in the cannons' slots on the fort's roof.

The Swedish and the Portuguese and the British Cannons

"The city was chosen as the best destination for tourists in Arab the world in 2022."

Nizwa Castle

Imam Mohammed bin Abdullah Al- Yahmadi started building the castle in the late of 8th century. Then, It was expanded by Imam Sult bin Malik Al-Kharusi in mid of the 9th century next to the ancient mosque and renewed during the reign of Imam Nasser bin Murshid Al-Yarabi (1624 - 1649 AD). It includes several rooms such as Al-Barza (public meeting room), the Imam's Family Resi- dence, Guests rooms, Date Stores, and a resident for students that is also known as Sohar rooms.

There are several rooms inside the Castel

Wells

Wells are the main source of water in the fort. There are 17 wells, four are on the roof of the fort, and the rest are distributed inside and outside the castle. Some of them are still used until this day.

Castle Garden

In the expanded area of the castle, visitors can see palm trees and learn about the ancient method of agriculture, palm tree types, the falaj's system, and the extraction of water from wells.

Visitor Experience

Visitors can learn about the history of the Castle and the Fort. They can take a glimpse of the cultural and architectural aspects, alongside daily events such as folklore arts, handicrafts, folk food, and agricultural activities that are pre- pared according to the fort's administration's program. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful view of Nizwa's old lanes and souks, palm groves, and the sunset view from the top of the castle and fort.

Nizwa Souq

Oman's oldest Souq and It is one of the oldest markets in the country and you will find fruit, meat, sweets, pottery, souvenirs and antiques. Located in the heart of the city near Nizwa Fort.