Stepping back in time, we entered Misfat Al Abriyeen, one of Oman’s oldest villages. The people here follow a more traditional lifestyle, and we found them to be warm and welcoming.
The town itself is a maze of alleys surrounded by traditional buildings, often tall mud structures built into and around Jebel Akhdar. In English, it is the Green Mountain, an obvious name when one looks around this desert only to discover lush date palm and banana groves. Jebel Akhdar is part of the al Hajar mountains, Oman’s tallest mountain range. The peak is Jebel Shams, the location of the Oman Grand Canyon.
The mountain town of Misfat Al Abriyeen was built into the hills. Life here remains traditional with hard work and simple pleasures. Look closely, and you can see the modern additions like the electric wiring, a water tank, cars, and the satellite dish in the upper left of the photo.
A classic Omani scene, with the water and oil jars hanging in the window.
A closer look at the oil and water jars, surrounded by modern wiring. Many centuries in one picture
A stained glass window on one of the homes.
This is our guide Khalfan showing us where and how the old men in the village of Misfat gather each morning.
The irrigation system is seen on the other side of the seating area. Here Khalfan shows Sarah some dates in the palm trees.
A closer look at the palm dates.
Khalfan is entering an alleyway.
I hadn’t seen goats with such long hair before.
Al Hajar mountains are an interesting mix of green palms and desert structures.
Outside of Misfat, this watchtower overlooks the fishing village of Alhambra.
A sign at the village entrance welcomed us, pointed out the highlights, and offered a few suggestions to make our visit more enjoyable for everybody. “We kindly request you to respect our customs:
- Wear unrevealing clothing; cover your upper arms while shorts/skirts should cover knees.
- Greet people you meet on the track.
- Ask before taking photographs of local people.
- Do not enter private property without an invitation, even if it appears deserted.
- Keep off the grass and do not help yourself to any fruits or vegetables! This is our livelihood.
- Respect the privacy of the Ladies Area which is clearly marked with No Entry signs.
- Water is valuable! Do not bathe in or pollute surface water streams or falaj as remote communities rely on them for drinking water and irrigation.
- Accepting hospitality is considered polite. Remove footwear before entering a house, ladies should not offer to shake hands, in traditional homes sit on the floor (oldest first), avoid showing the soles of your feet, offer and accept with your right hand, kawah (coffee) is served in very small portions – accepting three servings is also considered polite.”
Practical Information:
- There are so many places to visit in Oman. On this long day trip, we went first from Muscat to Nizwa, then into the al Hajar Mountains, stopped in Jabel Shams to admire the Grand Canyon Oman, then Misfat al Abriyeen. Finally, we hurried back to Muscat in hopes of beating the storm. Instead, we were caught in desert floods.
- We travelled with a guide, Khalfan from Sunny Day Tours. While we could have done it all on our own, he offered a historical and local perspective we would have missed.
- Driving looks comfortable, on modern roads with few other vehicles.
- This post is a continuation of my throwback series encouraged by moving 40,000 photos to Lightroom. We visited Oman in 2012.
- We stayed at, and recommend for midrange the Tulip Inn in Muscat. If you want to splurge, choose the Shangri-La Resort. Check for current prices here –>Booking.com
Have you travelled in Oman? Have you been to Misfat Al Abriyeen?
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Ha architecture without architects. Very nice to see and thank us for showing.
And the houses have been standing for a long time.
Gorgeous shots of the village.
Thanks Fi, it was a lovely place.
It is odd to see the lines for electricity over such simple old buildings.
Hopefully everyone who enters is respectful.
We were the only non-locals there at the time, so I can only hope people were respectful.
It looks so ancient; it makes me feel like you went back in time. I love your amazing adventures.
That is how it felt when we were there.
I don’t think I would like to go to this place. Just looking at your photos, I wonder how the people of the area can servive ? I guess seeing these photos make me realize how lucky I am in Canada. Thanks Rhonda. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
The survive the way they have for centuries, working the land and letting it feed them.
Great photography.
Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. 🙂
Thanks Sandee, I am sure this is not your type of destination.
I wish every town and event had a manners sign posted…..thinking about my post about cell phone etiquette. Great photos as always!
I wish people would respect these signs. It was one of the things that really bugged me in Dubai, the lack of respect by expats and foreigners.
What a nice place I like the buildings, That’s a nice photo with Sarah, I have never seen goats with long hair like that either 🙂
Have a datetastic week Rhonda 🙂
Those goats were pretty cool.
I love this, looks amazing considering that it is a real authentic spot in the Middle East
You would love Oman, there is so much to photograph.
You really don’t see much about the little villages. Very interesting. Love the photo with Sarah.
I think visitors tend to stick too much to the main roads, and the big cities.
What wonderful photography of Oman ~ lovely textures, colors and composition ~ my fav is the goats ~ so cute the little one following Mama
Happy Week to you ~ ^_^
Thanks Carol. Oman was a wonderful place to be, especially as a photographer.
We have had but a one day stop on a cruise to Oman and that taste has left a lasting memory and desire to return and explore far more! Great post.
I only had a week, and I want to go back and explore as well.
Nice to see some places remain traditional
Agree. It is too rare these days.
Hi Rhonda – what a wonderful place to visit – history at a go … I’d love to see the area … sadly probably not, but I can be here when you show us your wonderful photos … lovely – cheers Hilary
I am glad that I can bring you somewhere new and different. There are so many places out there to visit, it’s impossible to see them all.
Such an interesting place to visit, Rhonda..I haven’t visited this part of the world. The watching tower looks great..
The entrance door is a short, so we had stoop down to get in, but once inside we could climb to the top.
my goodness- the wires are like random spider webs. And most of the posted rules are common sense….while others are more cultural-
lovely photos.
Most of the rules are common sense, but sadly, so many tourists throw out common sense when they step on a plane.
40,000 images?!? I hope you have all of those images backed up. It would be sickening to lose them! 🙂
Anyway, great intro to Misfat Al Abriyeen. Wonder if anything has changed since 2012? I feel like a lot of places have changed in the past few years. Not every place, but many. Having visited, what do you think?
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
With Love,
Mandy
I have multiple backups, and one is kept off site. I also have a procedure, where I download and backup every night when we travel. As for Misfat, I hope it hasn’t changed too much.
Love the satellite dish on the roof of those ancient buildings
Mollyx
I was surprised to see it too.
You go to such interesting places, and your photos captured everything beautifully.
Thanks Ruth. We enjoy ourselves.
it looks lika a completely different world!! I think a guide is really a good point as he can show you a lot about his culture.
It felt like a completely different world, although the guide brought it all together for us.
This could be Egypt. There are very old villages plus oases with palm plantations. However no water is hung out the windows and I think the people are more sophisticated and welcoming of tourists than in Oman. Thanks for the unusual pics!
By “welcoming” I meant Egyptians don’t have so many rules, unless you’re heading to a mosque. Having been colonized twice (France and England), and knowing the tourists bring in a healthy part of the nation’s GDP, they’re more accepting of foreign ways, manners, and dress.
Interesting observation. We found the people we met in Oman to be friendly and welcoming, but we were respectful in manners and dress.
About a year ago I had never heard of Oman until a friend of mine visited. Since then, it spiked my interest and so does your post. Loving all your pictures too!
Oman is such a wonderful country. It’s easy to visit and not yet overrun with tourists.
I haven’t spent much time in this part of the world, but it’s definitely on my bucket list. Your tips for being respectful of the local culture and customs are in valuable–such great insight.
They are not my tips, but rather tips that posted at the entrance to the village.
While some of the rules make sense (not photographing someone without asking), I’d live in constant fear of committing a faux pas – like offering to shake hands or accidentally showing an unacceptable body part. It would sadly give me a lot of anxiety. The pictures are beautiful, though!
Really, it’s no different than anywhere we travel. Everywhere has rules and customary guidelines, like no gum chewing in Singapore, or not topless beaches in certain countries, etc.
Really looks authentically rocky! What a way to live
Yes, it is built into the side of a mountain.
Never been to Oman but really enjoyed your post. Makes me curious to know how they built the homes into the mountains. Thanks also for sharing practical tips on how to make the trip more enjoyable.
I was curious about that when I stood there and looked at them.
What picturesque interesting place. Great photos, as always 🙂
Thanks.