Wandering in Mountain Villages

Hejaz Mountains, Oman

Jan 16, 2024

Like the other Gulf countries, Oman too lacks public transport for the most part. So I decided to rent a car for a couple of days and explore the mountains near Nizwa. In particular I wanted to wander among the villages – some abandoned, some where old buildings mingle with the new.

Tanuf Village

Not far from Nizwa is Tanuf, a village abandoned since 1954. But this mass exodus was triggered not by natural disaster but an attack by the Sultan when he put down Oman’s Imamate rebellion. Set against the gray ridge, many of the unbaked mudbrick walls remain.

Wandering among the ruins, I see walls of individual houses, some with the traditional built-in shelves. The tall archways now look onto the new town of Tanuf framing the minaret of the new mosque beyond.

Al Hamra Village

At the foot of the Hajar Mountains is Al Hamra, one of the oldest villages in Oman. Enroute to Misfat, this made for a natural next stop. Well before dipping down to the village is a viewpoint with a glorious vista of the huge swathe of the oasis and the mudbrick buildings of the old village along its edge.

I drive down into the village and at the entrance decide to explore on foot. In the midst of the mudbrick houses I saw from afar, I wander at will but it is not easy to get lost. The same mudbrick structures that I have seen in Tibet, in Ladakh, in Iran, in Tunisia and many other countries. The same design, with tapering walls is here as well. Perhaps it is unsurprising because architecture is likely dictated by the similar climate and geography.

Amongst the abandoned buildings are many that are newly renovated. A line of laundry or a pair of shoes outside the door tell me that these are inhabited.

And there! I see a falaj, running by the front door. This is exactly like it used to be in Leh, in northern India. Still used for washing and laundry, these channels are used to bring in water from distant springs and mountaintops. Just as it is here.

The channels run past some houses, under some others and along the edge of the date palm grove. And just like in other parts of the world, it is diverted when needed.

But this is no quaint town with curious but shy inhabitants. It seems to be firmly on the tourist radar, with busloads of guided tours. There are so-called house museums doing a brisk business and kitsch cafes plonked down amid the palms. I did not dare to visit the Heritage Center at the entrance to the village.

Misfat Al Abriyyin

Visible from the viewpoint for Al Hamra, higher up the mountain is the much smaller village of Misfat. The road zigzagged up the slope with the views of the valley floor becoming better and better. A deep ravine is blanketed with date palms and on the ridge across I see tour buses lined up.