Nizwa: The Pearl of Islam

The famous Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta once noted Nizwa as “a city enveloped by orchards and streams, with fine bazaars and splendid clean mosques.”

Inder Raj Ahluwalia

Ascenic drive from Muscat through stark, barren mountains, brings one to a little town that shoulders a long history. Sprawled across a water–fed wadi (valley) and marking its territory in the heart of Oman’s Dakhiliyah region lies the Nizwa oasis settlement. A former capital of Oman, Nizwa is known as ‘The Pearl of Islam’ or ‘The Egg of Islam’, being one of the world’s first Islamic outposts.

The fort is Nizwa’s signature monument, a source of pride and a bastion of Oman’s past. From the top of the turret, you get a 360-degree view of the town, the entire valley, and the hills and mountains in the distance. Watching over everything is the minaret of the mosque, its top embellished with blue and gold. Several rooms and chambers are wedged in different spots around the fort, some luxuriously appointed, others sporting a plainer look. The overall effect is simple and telling. The in-house Oman Heritage Gallery offers good souvenir shopping. When there, visit the souk! Resembling a model village, the souk is a maze of narrow alleys and little outlets selling a bewildering assortment of household goods, spices, dry fruit, dates, foodstuffs, and Omani sweets. The Gulf of Oman’s generosity can be bought at the fish market. Stop for lunch at Falaj Daris Hotel that offers delectable cuisine and a ‘lived-in’ sort of ambience.