sultan qaboos grand mosque in muscat

i have so many thoughts about oman, but our last destination first. today, on sunday, we went to see sultan qaboos grand mosque in muscat, one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world. it can accommodate 20,000 worshipers. construction started in 1994 and it took more than 6 years to complete. 5 minarets representing islam’s 5 pillars, 300,000 tons of sandstone from india, one infinitely large carpet with 28 colors made in iran, a gorgeous dome supporting a stunning chandelier w 600,000 crystals crafted in italy, mosaics and arches everywhere, surrounded by peaceful gardens.

architects: exterior design by mohammed saleh makiya (iraq) and quad design of london. interior design by edgard bali, an egyptian company i believe.

al hamra and jabreen castle

yesterday afternoon: we visited bait al safah, the sheikh’s house in al hamra some 400 years ago, now a museum. we had coffee, ginger tea and dates in the majlis (guest lounge) and a lady showed us how to make omani bread. it’s much thinner than chapati, so much so u can see thru it.

then on to the center of al hamra, where buildings are carved into rock. reminded me of les eyzies and other medieval villages embedded in cliffs and spectacular rock formations in the dordogne (southwestern france).

finally, jabreen castle, built by imam bilarab bin sultan al yarubi around 1670 AD, when he moved his capital from nizwa to jabreen. the sun and moon room, his majlis, has 14 windows, half of them face the sun and the other half, the moon, so that the room is always filled with light. breathtaking.

bahla and jabal shams

yesterday morning: bahla, about 25 mi from nizwa, is home to one of the oldest and largest forts in oman. one part, on its south side, is more than 3,000 years old. mostly built in the 13th century, it was restored from 1988 to 2014. the fortress and town are surrounded by remnants of a 7.5 mi long fortified wall. the buildings are constructed from traditional mud brick.

pottery in bahla dates back to 2500 BC. the clay comes from the wadi’s river bed – yellow clay is local and red clay from the neighboring town of al hamra. we visited a small pottery factory. 200 years old, everything made by hand, and then fired in a kiln.

next stop, jabal shams, the highest mountain of the hajar range, and in the country. located in al hamra, it’s called ‘sun mountain’ because it’s the first place that sees the sun rise in oman. elevation: 3,028 m

jabal akhdar and the aflaj system

yesterday, as we climbed higher towards nizwa, we were surprised by how cool the air got and how much more greenery we encountered.

jabal akhdar’s semi-mediterranean climate is ideal for pomegranates, dates, figs, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, wild berries, lemons, almonds, walnuts, olives, and roses. in fact, there are 30,000 pomegranate trees spread over ten villages, and these are supposed to be some of the best in the world. i can vouch for it. we had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view of oman’s agricultural terraces and i couldn’t get over the best salad i might have ever had: pomegranate seeds, beets and cilantro. not one or two pomegranate seeds here and there – the salad was awash with them.

utterly fresh and delightful. this might be a persian salad – there are a lot of overlaps between the two cultures.

the irrigation in these parts is based on the aflaj system, ancient water channels from 500 AD located in the regions of dakhiliyah, sharqiyah and batinah. this type of irrigation might go back 5,000 years and was also found in ancient persian towns.

each village has its own falaj (water system) and ways of sharing water equitably. in the old days, water clocks, sundials (during the day) and stars (at night) were used for timing water shares.

the fruit is hard to pick as it grows on mountain terraces or inside deep craggy wadis. it is done by hand, by men and women who fasten baskets to their heads, collect the fruit, and then climb back up. this is why it’s expensive.
once in nizwa, we checked out the souk and the famous nizwa fort.

birkat al mouz

today we drove from the desert to the mountains. had to stop at a checkpoint, to make sure all cars are 4wd before they go any further. interesting that jebel akhdar (green mountain) was finally opened to the public in 2003. before that, only the military had access. did u know about the dhofar liberation front, a marxist group that wanted independence, or the ibadhi imams up in the mountains who despised hereditary succession? there was a civil war in oman from 1963 to 1976. oil had been discovered in areas ruled by the imamate and the british were involved. needless to say. british bombs decided the matter eventually.

first stop, birkat al mouz (named for the bananas that grew here). this 400-500 year old village sits by the side of the mountain and seems to dissolve in it. it’s abandoned now. villages like these were built with sarooj, a traditional water-resistant mortar made of clay and limestone, also used in iranian architecture, going back to 1200 bc.
we went inside some of the homes. they were substantially cooler.

1000 nights camp

what i woke up to this morning at 1000 nights camp, sharqiyah sands. had breakfast at the camp. my favorite thing? mandazi, a form of fried bread that originated on the swahili coast. tastes like a sour cream doughnut.

dinner at the camp last night was also incredible. some of my favorite desserts:

omani halwa – like habshi halwa but smoother and more gelatinous. i bought some and got to taste many different kinds, made with figs, brown sugar, honey, milk, dhofari frankincense, tahini, dates, or cardamom. decided on halwa with walnuts.

um ali – pastry (bread or puff pastry) divided into pieces and blended with pistachios, coconut flakes, raisins and sugar. milk or cream poured over the mixture, which is then sprinkled with cinnamon and baked in the oven until the surface is golden brown. tastes like shahi tukray but much lighter and fluffier. simply heavenly.

mahalabiya – eastern milk pudding, slightly sweetened and flavored with rose or orange water. like firni but smoother and more milky. served in tiny narrow glasses.
more about food later.