By air
Muscat (MCT), ~1.5 h
Middle East · Oman
Nizwa, Oman
A fort town under the mountains
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to March — mild
Don't miss
Nizwa Fort
Jabrin Castle
Bahla Fort
The Nizwa Souq
Things to do
Nizwa Fort
The souq
The Friday cattle market
Jebel Akhdar's terraces
Where to eat
What to pack
Modest clothing
A quieter corner
The abandoned mud-brick village of Tanuf
Questions travellers ask
What do I need to know before visiting Nizwa?
Come between October and March, when it's mild, and pack modest clothing. Fly into Muscat (MCT), about 1.5 h away.
What should I see in and around Nizwa?
Nizwa Fort, the Nizwa Souq, Jabrin Castle and Bahla Fort, with Jebel Akhdar's terraces for a change of scene.
When is the Nizwa cattle market?
It's a Friday market, so plan your visit around it. While you're there, pick up halwa and dates.
Is there a hidden gem near Nizwa?
The abandoned mud-brick village of Tanuf.
About Nizwa
- Inland
Where it is
Nizwa is an oasis town in the Ad Dakhiliyah region of interior Oman, set among date-palm groves at the foot of the Hajar Mountains and Jebel Akhdar, south-west of Muscat.
History
Nizwa was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries and for long periods the seat of Oman's Ibadi imams and a centre of religious learning. Its great round-towered fort was built in the 17th century by the Ya'rubi imam Sultan bin Saif, after the expulsion of the Portuguese, and took some twelve years to complete.
People
Nizwa's Omanis are farmers, traders and craftsmen: silversmiths make the curved khanjar dagger, potters work in nearby Bahla, and date palms watered by ancient falaj channels surround the town. Arabic is spoken, and at the Friday market goats and cattle are auctioned in a circle.
Known for
- Nizwa Fort and its great round tower
- The Nizwa Souq's silver and pottery
- The Friday livestock market
- Nearby Jabrin Castle and Bahla Fort
- Omani halwa and dates
Did you know?
Falaj Daris, which waters Nizwa's palm groves through ancient channels, is one of the five aflaj that make up the Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.