The method of my travel madness recently, has developed into one of less and less prior research. I used to be an over planner, knowing exactly what I wanted to see, even down to the restaurants I was going to dine at. After years of full-time travel, that has gone by the wayside and I now arrive in many places feeling like a novice. This is how I begin my explorations of the amazing ancient capital of Oman Al-Okor in Nizwa.
Al-Okor
What’s with the names? Everything I try and source, even Google Maps seems to call this city something different, so I’ll include them all. Al-Okor or Al-Akr, Nizwa, is an ancient city, what used to be the capital of Oman! I knew about the historical Nizwa Fort and its castle, it’s why I came. But I had absolutely no idea how intact the city would be. I have stumbled into a maze of such amazing proportions and am in complete awe and tickled pink.
Tucked up beside the fort is the earlier settlement of the city that dates back 1,400 years. Made completely of mud bricks, these sometimes two- and three-story houses are incredible. Many are still standing, many I can simply wander right inside, exploring them like an early discoverer. Have a look at these dwellings and take in the thickness of the walls, detailed construction, roof beams, etc. Absolutely amazing.
Some are still lived in like this massive one with an incredible carved green door and windows. The beautiful old lady who sees me taking photos of her door, actually invites me inside to look at the house! I don’t take any pictures out of respect for per privacy. What luck and kindness though.
Maze
All of these houses are connected to each other by a labyrinth of narrow dim lanes. These I get completely lost in and happily so. Some make me a little nervous as the smells and garbage can be a little overwhelming.
Others are wider and the locals are keeping these spaces clean and decorated. Intermixed are some businesses, a small museum, antique shop, etc. But mostly what I see are completely abandoned structures. None are roped off and I can freely wander in and try to absorb what my eyes are witness to.
Details
I feel like I have been transported to another time and place. Letting my mind wander, I completely relax and take in as many of the original details as I can. The old wooden doors are especially magical to see. I spot them at ground level and even up as high as the third floor of some houses.
Another aspect to these mud dwellings that intrigues me is the built-in shelving. Such an interesting and really cool feature. I spot some details that have been etched into the mud and others that have been painted on the plaster surrounding the shelves. How beautiful the interiors of these houses must have been in their prime!
The timbre ceilings are another special feature of these dwellings. In a museum entrance I passed, I was able to see some incredible painted beams that have been removed from the old houses. Now that I’m inside these structures, I try to spot painted beams myself and am lucky to see a few.
I am enchanted. I wander these narrow lanes and alleys for hours, completely transfixed by this 6th century mud city. There is hardly another tourist or visitor here, it’s like I have this place completely to myself. Just a few streets over are the renovated fort and castle bustling with activity. But here, I am virtually alone in time and space, transported to a magical era of historical Oman.
