Off to Nizwa and Jabal Shams – November 2019
We wanted to see a bit more of Oman, so we went with guide Abdullah to see the Nizwa and Jabal Shams areas, about 150 kilometers southwest of Muscat. Nizwa was the capital of Oman during the 6th and 7th centuries and is still today called the Pearl of Oman, partially because of its large agricultural production and handicraft industries.
Nizwa Souqs – Abdullah first showed us the Nizwa markets for dates, vegetables, pottery, textiles, spices/herbs/nuts, and silver. We had a chance to taste a few dates dipped in a sauce which was actually runny peanut butter. The flavor combination was delicious. The silver shop included both rifles used in competitions and jewelry.
So many varieties of dates 
Silver souq 
Abdullah and Susan walk through textile and pottery courtyard
Nizwa Fort – Built in the mid 1600s, the restored fort is the most visited national monument in the country. It includes the largest circular tower in Oman, with a diameter of 45 meters, height of 34 meters, and underground foundation of 30 meters.
Gunnery platform at top of circular tower
Abdullah explained to us the many security features of the tower: 7 heavy wooden doors with metal spikes; a narrow twisty staircase to the top level; overhead shafts through which boiling water, oil, or date syrup could be poured onto unwelcome visitors; trap doors above pits; gunnery platform; and cannons. Constructed along the main roadway for transporting goods, it was once the most secure fort in Oman.
Looking up shaft for boiling water, oil, or date syrup 
Nizwa Castle – We walked from the fort through a courtyard to reach the castle, which was built about 800 years earlier. The castle was not only a residence of the ruler and his family, but also included administrative areas, classrooms, a prison, guard living quarters, and a date store.
View of Nizwa from fort and castle
Jabal Shams – We stood with Abdullah on the 2,000 meter-high cliffs of Jabal Shams, also known as the Grand Canyon of Oman. On the other side of the canyon is the highest point (3,009 meters) in Oman and the Gulf Region. Access to the peak is restricted because of the Oman Air Force radar equipment on top.
Susan and Abdullah stay far from the edge. 
Garden Terraces 
From the canyon cliffs we could see just a portion of Wadi Guhl, the usually dry river channel at the bottom of Jabal Shams. On our drive back to Muscat we stopped at the east end of the wadi to take a quick look at Guhl Village, an abandoned village. Residents moved to a nearby hill and still farm in the land below the old, crumbling mud buildings.
Desolate!