Tanuf Ruins

Tanuf stands roofless at the mouth of its wadi, a village of mud-brick and stone houses with walls to two and three storeys, staircases running to nothing and doorways opening on rubble, abandoned since it was destroyed in the late 1950s and never rebuilt; the residents moved to a new settlement nearby. Nothing has been restored. Date palms grow through the lanes and the falaj still runs past. Behind the village Wadi Tanuf cuts into the mountains, with pools higher up and a dam at the entrance to the gorge. It is the most affecting of the abandoned villages in the interior because it was left exactly as it was.

What you actually see

• The roofless village - walls, stairs and doorways standing open.
• The falaj - the channel still running past the ruins.
• Wadi Tanuf - the gorge cutting back into the mountains behind.
• Date palms - the trees grown up through the abandoned lanes.

When to go

October to March; the interior is very hot in summer. Late afternoon light suits the mud walls. There is no gate or fee and the site is open at any time.

Honest expectations

The ruins are unstable and walking inside the buildings is dangerous. There is no interpretation, staff or facilities on site. The wadi track behind needs four-wheel drive. Litter has accumulated in places.

Nearby

Nizwa lies east; Al Hamra and Misfat are west.