3. Nizwa is the largest city in the Al
Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the
capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about
140 km (1.5 hours) from Muscat. Nizwa is
one of the oldest cities in Oman and it was
once a center of trade, religion, education
and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was
formerly a center for Islamic learning.

4. Nizwa acquired its importance because it has
been an important meeting point at the
base of the Western Hajar Mountains. Set
amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is
strategically located at the crossroads of
routes linking the interior with Muscat and
the lower reaches of Dhofar thus serving as
the link for a large part of the country.
Today, Nizwa is a diverse prosperous place
with numerous agricultural, historical and
recreational aspects. Nizwa is a center for
date growing and is the market place for
the area.

8. Wilayat Sumail is almost half way between
Wilayat Nizwa (75 Kilometers) and the
Governorate of Muscat (85 Kilometers). It
borders on Wilayat Bidbid to the north, the
Western Hajar mountain range to the west,
Wilayat Izki to the south and some outlying
villages of Wilayat Dima wa'l Ta'een to the east.
It has a large number of historic buildings
including forts, castles and towers.

10. Bahla Fort is one of four historic fortresses
situated at the foot of Al Jabal al Akdhar
highlands in Oman. It was built in the 13th and
14th centuries, when the oasis of Bahla was
prosperous under the control of the Banu
Nebhan tribe. The fort’s ruined adobe walls
and towers rise some 165 feet above its
sandstone foundations.

11. The fort was not restored or conserved before 1987, and
had fallen into a parlous state, with parts of the walls
collapsing each year in the rainy season. The fort
became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was
included in the List of World Heritage Sites in danger
from 1988. Restoration works began in the 1990s, and
more than £6m were spent by the Omani government
from 1993 to 1999. It remained covered with scaffolding
and closed to tourists for many years. It was removed
from the list of endangered sites in 2004. It is
unfortunately still being closed and therefore it was not
possible to visit the fort.

14. Jabrin Castle is located in an oasis between the
mountains of Jabal Akhdar. It was built in 1675
by Sultan Bila’rab bin Sultan al-Yaarubi as a
summer residence. The palace was also a
centre for learning. Although it has the form
and structure of a military fort, it never served
this purpose.The large, rectangular castle is
three stories high and has more than 50
rooms. Many rooms lead from one to the next
and you are in a real maze with many doors,
stairs, rooms and corridors.

17. Wilayat Adam is in the south of Al-Dakhiliyah
Region and borders on wilayat 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 Kilometers from the Governorate
of Muscat . It has a large number of villages and
bedouin settlements, farms, old mosques, suqs
and archaeological sites.

18. Jabal Shams, Maisfat Al Abriyeen, al Hootah Cave,
Hasat bin Salt, Bait al Safa and Bait al Shari'ah are
the main tourist attractions in Wilayat al Hamra,
which lies in the north-western part of al Jabal al
Akhdhar range. It borders on Wilayat Nizwa to
the east and Wilayat Bahla to the south.

20. A little ancient village called Maisfat Al
Abriyeen, hidden in same mountain range
as Oman’s highest peak, Jebel Shams. An
ancient village hidden in the top of the
mountains, famous for its palm, banana and
mango trees.

21. Most houses in this little village are still built
from mud bricks and clay. Very little modern
building materials can be found. Many houses
have been built more than a hundred years
ago. The houses are built into the slope of the
wadi (valley). The paths through the village are
very narrow and lead you through arches and
along the falaj watering system to the
inhabitants’ irrigated terraces. The water
comes from the mountains several kilometers
away.

23. Wilayat 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,
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.
Wilayat Manah is 160 Kilometers from the Governorate
of Muscat and comprises eight villages:- Harat al Bilad,
Mu'ammad, al Ma'arra, 'Izz, al Feeqain, al Mahiyul, Abu
Nakhilah and Mitan.

25. Wilayat Izki has some of the oldest sits in AL 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. Wilayat lzki is 130 Kilometers
from the Governorate of Muscat. Some of the better-
known of its 26 villages include Zakeet, al Qaryatain,
Seema, Muqazzah, Qala'at al Awamir, Shafaa, Habl al
Hadid, Umtay and Qarut.

26. 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. Travelers 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. Wilayat
Bidbid has been described as the "smiling mouth" of Al
Dakhiliyah Region.