Nizwa, OMAN

The oasis city of Nizwa (2.5 hours south of Muscat), was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries. The huge fort which is Nizwa's most famous attraction was built in the mid 17th century by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'ribi. Second best attraction is the ancient souq (market) where very old men with long beards guard their merchandise - mostly silverware. The town's immense palm oasis stretches for eight kilometers along the course of two wadis (dry riverbeds). A lot of ancient mud buildings are still scattered around the town - most all of them poorly maintained.

My visit to Nizwa and same day return to Muscat concludes my 4 day trip to Oman. I am highly impressed with the Omani people, their architecture, high standard of living, good food, and cleanliness of the surroundings. The people are very well maintained - men in their spotless bright white dishdashas and colourful traditional Kashmiri head wear, and women in their black abaya.

I must return to Oman - sooner rather than later. Next time I'll rent a 4X4 and conquer the deserts and rugged coastline. This is certainly a place to explore in all directions.

I'm heading back to Dubai now and will fly down to Sana'a, Yemen, tomorrow (Saturday March 17th).

M'asselema (go in peace)