Al Hamra at the foot of the Hajar Mountains
Al Hamra is one of the oldest villages in Oman—many houses are abandoned. The Bait Al Safah Museum will be found in the middle of this. In this “phantom-like” village, you see a 400-year-old building that used to house a well-off Omani household. Amid all the sand and mountains, you will find this fertile oasis full of green palm trees.
Continuing my hitchhiking
After visiting the Nizwa goat market on Friday morning, I continued my hitchhiking trip through Oman. It was only about 50 kilometres to my next destination, Al Hamra. On the first ride, I got pretty fast, and I had to hitchhike one more time before I reached my destination; the driver drove me all the way to my hotel for the night.
The Wadi Inn
Pakistanis ran this lovely little oasis on the outskirts of Al Hamra, and it only had five or six rooms. The small swimming pool and the garden were lit up nicely at night. The host here suggested that I visit the Bait Al Safah Museum. Small “homemade” museums can sometimes be boring, so I am always reluctant to go to those, but my worries were unfounded this time.
Al Safah Museum
This museum is more like an open house than a historical museum. You are welcome at the door and get a guided tour throughout the home, where a wealthy family had lived until the 1990s. You gain an excellent introduction to how the family was divided inside the house. Furthermore, we learned about the dates and everything they were used for, like eating, drinking, oil, and even painting the walls. Omani bread-making and coffee bean grinding are demonstrated in the kitchen. Ultimately, you are offered tea or Omani coffee and dates in the guest room. This visit was worthwhile.
Why do Omanis abandon whole villages?
I asked the guide this because I saw this in many places in Oman. The old houses were built of mud bricks with straw inside them. The mud wears off when it rains, even though it does not rain many days a year. They must add a new mud layer to the house every two to three years; however, at the end of the last century, the country was doing well financially, and they had started to build with cement. This led to the government giving its citizens funds to build new houses, leaving the old villages behind.
Misfat Al Abriyeen
On the mountain foothills above Al Hamra, you find Misfat Al Abriyeen. The village derives its name from the Al Abri tribe, originally from Misfat Al Abriyeen and Al Hamra. I reached this village by hitchhiking up. The village boasts amazing agricultural terraces, beautiful alleys, and old houses built on solid rocks. The old houses in Misfat al Abriyeen are traditional mud houses with palm frond roofs.
This popular tourist attraction has a fantastic view of the surroundings, and from one of the rooftop cafes, I had a nice rest. The five-kilometre walk down to my hotel again was no problem. I could have gotten rides, but I preferred to walk this time. In the evening, I had dinner with the other hotel guests, some Germans and Italians. I was very excited about my following day and the journey over the mountain; it did become a bit different than I had planned.
