A'Dakhliyah
The Dakhliyah region, in the Interior of the Sultanate, plays
a great historical role in the coming of Islam to Oman. At the
heart of the region lies the wilayat of Nizwa, which was a sanctuary
for scholars and jurists, and a stronghold for powerful leaders.
Nizwa has been deemed the 'Pearl of Islam' due to its restoration
of the Islamic beliefs to the country, its seats of Islamic
learning and its schools of Islamic jurisprudence. From the
adjacent wilayat of Sumail, Mazin bin Ghaduba, the Companion
of the Prophet Mohammed, (Peace Be Upon Him) travelled to Mecca
to embrace Islam. There are eight wilayats forming the Dakhliyah
region.
Nizwa was host to the 24th National Day celebrations in 1994,
held in the Youth Complex that is located in Seih al Kuds. The
complex covers 443,000m2 and has capacity for 15,000 spectators.
Nizwa is a diverse, prosperous area, which has many agricultural,
historical, governmental and recreational aspects. Nizwa Fort,
located in the town proper, is an imposing structure; 24m high,
with an external diameter of 43m and an internal diameter of
39m. This was the headquarters of the ruler of Nizwa and was
built by the Imam Sultan bin Saif bin Malik al Ya'rubi. With
its connections to the root of Islam, Nizwa has a number of
important mosques, such as Nizwa Mosque, a Friday mosque heralded
as a 'beacon of science'; So'al Mosque, built in the 2nd century
AH; and the Al Shawadhana Mosque which is located in the district
of Aqr. The Nizwa souq is situated next to the fort and was
renovated in the 1990's, costing RO2.5million. The souq covers
an area of around 7600m2 and consists of separate buildings
housing the likes of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, dates,
spices and handicrafts. The design of the souq compliments the
fort in every way. It has been constructed using the same traditional
materials, such as sarooj, a gypsum material which is burnt
until it turns brown. In 1993, Nizwa won the 'Organisation of
Arab Cities' award.
There
are around 90 afalaj in the area, the most important being Falaj
Daris. The Wadi Tanuf Dam, completed in 1989, is designed to
increase the supply of subterranean water which feeds the afalaj
of Daris and Tanuf. The increased supply has led to an expansion
in the agricultural area. The dam is 135m long and is located
on the watercourse of Wadi Tanuf which is famous in the Middle
East for its mineral water.
Although Nizwa is a modern city, parts of the wilayat, in particular,
the Jebel al Akhdar region are still inaccessible. The inhabitants
of these areas receive provisions and building materials brought
to them by the Armed Forces. There is also a 'flying doctor'
who provides medical services.
Wilayat Sumail was home to Mazin bin Ghaduba, the first Omani
to embrace Islam. He built the first mosque in Sumail, in 9th
century AH which is known as the Mosque of Mazin. Sumail contains
many wadis, some of which constitute the natural 'Sumail Gap'
which divides the mountains into the Western Hajar and Eastern
Hajar ranges. There are around 190 afalaj which meander around
green oases and date plantations. Some of the best dates in
Oman come from Sumail. There are a number of different date
palms grown here: Naghal; Fardh; Handhal; Khanizi; Mabsali;
and Khasab.
The wilayat of Bahla contains Bahla Fort, a recently restored
building which has been listed by UNESCO on its list of World
Heritage and Culture Sites. The wilayat is surrounded by a 15km
wall. Also in the area is the imposing Jibreen Fort, built by
Imam Bal'arb bin Sultan bin Saif Al Ya'rubi. Bahla's most famous
industry is pottery making. Bahla pots are found in homes throughout
the Sultanate and are a favourite souvenir with tourists. The
pots are still made in the traditional manner. Intricate designs,
some of which have been passed on through the generations and
have local significance, are etched into the necks and bodies
of these pots.
Adam is approximately 295km from Muscat and is the main entrance
to the Dakhliyah from the south. Some say that the wilayat got
its name from adim al ardth, which means 'surface of the earth',
or 'fertile land located in the desert'. Archaeological exploration
has revealed a number of significant sites, such as the mosques
of Al Jam'aa al Mahlabiya bint al Mahlab bin Abi Sufra and Al
Rugha. Legend and folklore surround this wilayat and stories
are told time and again of 'Bani Rahu' - or 'the mosque which
built itself'. The founder of the Al Bu Said Royal Family, Al
Imam Ahmad bin Said, was born in Adam. His house still stands
to this day. There are three springs in Adam, two at the foot
of Jebel Salakh and the third located on the banks of Wadi Halfain.
Wilayat al Hamra is located in the northwest part of Jebel al
Akhdar. Musafa al Abriin is an area of superb scenery, with
agricultural terraces cut into the mountains, and the peak of
Jebel Shams (mountain of the sun) soaring to 12,000ft. It is
thought that the mountain received its name because, during
its creation, it was first to receive the sun's rays in the
morning and the last rays at dusk. Lemons, dates, roses and
various vegetables are grown on the terraces.
Jebel al Akhdar is famous for its rose water and oil. Rose
oil is obtained by distillation of the petals and is highly
prized. The oil is used in the Omani fragrance, Amouage - 'the
most valuable fragrance in the world'.
The al Furs fort in the town of Ghul was besieged by Malik bin
Fahm. Unable to withstand the onslaught, the fort's inhabitants
fled to the mountains by the valley road, called Sanbak al Furs.
This road is still rutted from the ancient wooden wheels which
once traversed this route.
The wilayat of Manah is thought to be the first resting place
of Malik bin Fahim al Azdi before the Arabs entered Oman when
the Maa'rab Dam in Yemen broke. A falaj in Manah still bears
his name. In the old town, there are many caves which were said
to be hiding places during the war for women and children. There
is also a subterranean vault located in one of the ancient houses
in Al Fiqin. Legend surrounds the Az al Qadim mosque: it is
said that a 100kg rock was moved by a visitor to the mosque,
which he took with him on his travels south. The next day, upon
waking, the man noticed the rock had gone, only to be found
back in the mosque. The rock still lies in the mosque and has
the imprint of a man's foot on it. Sultan Qaboos' Royal Camp
for inspection of the region of Dakhliyah lies at Seih al Barakat
in Manah.
Izki before the dawn of Islam was known as Jarnan because of
an idol (awthan) which was worshipped in a cave under Hilal
Nazar. It was a known meeting place for trade caravans and markets
flourished. Testimony to its prosperous era is found in the
number of archaeological features. There are 142 towers and
three castles in the wilayat, together with ancient houses of
historical importance, such as Al Nazar Wa al Yaman.
The wilayat of Bidbid is the closest of the Dakhliyah to Muscat,
lying only 80km from the capital. There are 40 towers in the
area, the most famous being that in Fanja. Wadi Fanja often
contains running water and is a pleasant local picnic spot.
Pottery and mats are handmade locally, the latter being woven
from the leaves and branches of the palm tree.
