Dear friends,

After the fascinating morning at the goat market I wrote about in the last blog, we also spent time in the wider market and then visited the Nizwa’s Round Tower Fort. Later, we walked through a fascinating hillside village and then settled into a wonderful ‘eco-luxe’ hotel for the night called ‘The View’, with indeed breath-taking views over Nizwa and Al Hamra.

An old man bringing his wares to the market.

Conversation time between men. 

Sweet smelling dried rosebuds.

Lovely colours in the spice market.

Sweet desserts for tasting and take away. He asked, “Do you want to try some?” 

Doors in the market.

A weary old man sits by his stall in the market.

Clutching his money, a young boy looks up to the storekeeper. 

A dagger exhibited among loops of silver necklaces with coral, turquoise and lapis.

Many belts and daggers to choose from.

More lethal weapons, firearms of various kinds, readily available in one section of the souq.

Checking the sights or just showing his style, the shop owner making a sale.

Customers intent on the details of an item in a silver shop and a young boy looks on.

The young boy with an elder, perhaps his grandfather behind him.

Wandering through the market with his new purchase, very casual.

What’s in the sack?  Rice or flour maybe.

This shop owner looks very relaxed as he waits for customers.

An old lady crosses the road and I manage to snap a photo.

Traditional coffee pots and jugs for sale.

Miniature jeweled coffee pots waiting for the tourists. 

A lovely smile from a young lad …

… and his friend a little shyer, but smiling anyway.

More silver jewelry nicely displayed against a red cloth.

and more silver items.

A young boy in front of a ceramic stall.

Ceramic water pots painted for the tourists.

One aspect of the Fort at Nizwa with irrigated trees in front, the barren mountains behind. 

Looking up to the round tower which gives the fort its name – the Round Tower Fort.

On the roof of the Round Tower, looking up to the ramparts.

The cannons clearly a big draw for the young boys.

The older men happy to sit in the shade and pass the time of day.

Lovely rooms inside the fort, with colourful cushions to relax on and niches for books and china.

Looking out through one of the grilled windows to another part of the fort.

Leaving the fort, if you want, you can sit for a while in a shady tent.

Not too far away from Nizwa, we spent an hour or so walking through the hillside village of Misfat Al Abriyeen.

Many of the houses are now deserted and semi-ruined, but these facades show the complexity of the building. 

A beautiful detail on a window set in the mudbrick wall.

A newer house shaded by date palms. 

A sign of an inhabited house – water pots hanging in the window.

Sunset over the Jebel Akhdar Mountain Range.

Another view of the sunset – reflected in the glass table on my balcony.

The view from ‘The View’, looking down to the town of Al Hamra with the city of Nizwa in the distance. 

A lovely end to a fabulous day of goats, a fort, a village and a market. My camera certainly was humming. The next blog will show more of the area around Nizwa – another fort, villages and a wonderful spot for a picnic.

All good wishes,