Manah Old Town

Harat al Bilad at Manah is a walled mud-brick quarter that was abandoned as families moved into concrete houses nearby, and rather than being left to melt back into the ground it has had substantial restoration: the walls, gates, lanes and the Al Ala mosque with its carved mihrab have been rebuilt or stabilised, and the quarter can be walked. It remains empty, which gives it a stillness that the inhabited villages do not have, and it shows the layout of an interior Omani settlement clearly: the falaj running through, the defensive wall and towers, the mosque, and the tight lanes between blank-walled houses with date gardens outside.

What's there

• The walled quarter - the enclosure, gates and towers of the old town.
• Al Ala mosque - the restored mosque with its carved mihrab.
• The lane pattern - the narrow streets between blank-walled houses.
• The falaj and gardens - the water channel and date plantations outside.

When to go

October to March; the interior is severely hot in summer. Morning and late afternoon light works best on the mud walls. The site is open without gate or fee.

What to expect

The quarter is uninhabited, so there is no village life to see. Restoration is extensive and modern in places. There is no interpretation, staff or facilities. Some buildings remain unstable and are fenced off.

Nearby

Nizwa lies north; Birkat al Mouz is northeast.