Oman is… ancient paths

Oman is… ancient paths
By Hannah Edensor


Open a door to Oman, step over the threshold and you’ll feel the privilege of being invited on a journey along ancient paths.

A trip to Oman is like opening an ornate door to a realm of age-old hospitality, mythology and mysticism. We explore the key pillars that you will find when you open a door to Oman.

It’s not just the geology of this place that feels ancient. There are relics of communities who existed here many millennia before the year dot. The beehive tombs of Bat are evidence of settlements from around 3000 BC.

There are 100 of these dome tombs as well as stone towers that are almost 5000 years old. The most picturesque tombs are found at Wadi Al Ayn, where 21 run parallel to the crest of a hill. Clearly this was a revered place for these ancient people.

The castles and forts of Oman sit robustly on the land, their stark geometries interrupting the landscape. One of the finest castles sits at Jabrin, and harks back to an era of cloak and dagger transactions.

This was the Iman’s own palace, so there are 55 rooms. The two most fascinating are the Sun and Moon, and the Protection Room.

The Sun and Moon room is adorned with Islamic calligraphy while the Protection Room housed his soldiers beneath in case a welcomed nemesis threatened the Iman from within the castle walls.

For a living time capsule visit Misfah Al Abreeyan, a village where 800-year-old houses, alleys and farm terraces show their age, and are more charming for it. Set amid an oasis, the contrast of ochre coloured buildings and bright green trees is electric.

Many of the oasis towns in Oman are built on hills, historically for protection, which makes them all the more stunning to look at, and views from within often breath-taking.

Oman is also wild at heart, a local treasure, a grand adventure, and a place of total indulgence.

Latest News