Ironically, in the sixty years since Thesiger’s aborted visit, Nizwa has reinvented itself as one of Oman’s most welcoming destinations for foreign travellers. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable place to while away a few days, with a string of attractions including a magnificent fort, fine souks and a famous goat market, while the town’s conveniently central location puts you within easy striking distance of pretty much anywhere in the Western Hajar, making it the perfect base to explore one of Oman’s most rewarding regions.
Brief history
One of the oldest cities in Oman, Nizwa owes its importance to its strategic location at the crossroads of trade routes between the Buraimi, Muscat and Dhofar, as well as its proximity to unusually abundant water sources (the town’s Falaj Daris, is the largest in the country). Known as “The Pearl of Islam”, Nizwa served as capital of Oman under the Julanda dynasty in the sixth and seventh centuries AD – according to legend it was in Nizwa that the Julanda leaders became the first Omani converts to Islam in 630 AD. The town was chosen as capital in 793 AD at the beginning of the second imamate, as its inland position made it a safer base for the imams than coastal Sohar, the previous capital, which was prone to attacks by the seafaring Persians. Nizwa subsequently remained the pre-eminent town of the interior for almost a millennium until challenged by Rustaq, to which the Ya’aruba imams decamped in 1624. Religion aside, Nizwa also developed into a major craft centre, home to skilled artisans working in silver, copper and leather.
Nizwa was caught up in the Jebel War – in the early 1950s the city’s historic fort even suffered the indignity of being bombed by the British RAF. Since 1970, the city has begun to modernize and open up to the world. The city was connected to Muscat by a modern highway, while a major renovation of fort and souk was carried out during the 1990s and the new University of Nizwa opened in 2002.