Nizwa is where old traditions meet the super modern.
Apart from being the previous capital of Oman and having a famous goat market. Nizwa has one of the most modern museums in the Middle East. I am talking about the newly opened Oman Across Ages Museum in 2023. Nizwa was on my list because I wanted to attend the Friday morning Goat Market, a huge tourist draw. Nizwa was the second city I visited on my trip around Oman.
Nizwa
Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and was once a centre of trade, religion, education and art. Today, Nizwa is a diverse, prosperous place with numerous agricultural, historical and recreational aspects. As I have said in earlier posts, public transport is not so built out in Oman; however, there is a bus between Muscat and Salalah in the south, and it does a halt in Nizwa. This was the only longer bus ride I did in Oman.
Oman Across Ages Museum
When I did my research before going to Oman, I had not heard about this new museum close to Nizwa. Just because it was so new and few people had reviewed it. It opened in April 2023. The driver I had hitchhiked with from Wadi Shab the day before told me about it. I arrived in Nizwa in the afternoon and decided to spend the early evening in the museum since it was on the same side of the city where I was staying. I went up to the road and hitchhiked again.
An elderly man drove me to the museum entrance and asked if I wanted him to wait for me. I thanked him kindly, no thank you, but he gave me his phone number, just in case. Since this was the last post on the program that day, I wanted to spend some time here. The Oman Across Ages Museum has monitored the history of the land of Oman for about 800 million years. The museum seeks to introduce the various historical eras witnessed by the Sultanate of Oman, such as the geology of the land and the first inhabitants, all the way to the era of the Renaissance and its various achievements in various sectors.
The vast architecture takes you by storm when you arrive at the museum. There is so much light from large windows and plenty of “empty” space. The structure and exhibition design work very well together. The Oman Across Ages Museum comprises a library, auditorium, classrooms, and a vast permanent exhibition. I spent four hours there before walking around the whole building and hitchhiking back to my hotel.
Nizwa goat market
This market was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Nizwa. We do not have this in Norway; besides, my knowledge of kettle sales is minimal. Nizwa Goat Market is a traditional cattle market that occurs every Friday morning! Nizwa Goat Market is technically an extension of the historic and famous Souq Nizwa.
Farmers and shepherds from the surrounding towns and mountain villages bring their cattle to this market every Friday to be sold in an open bid. The market is a small circular pavilion with benches inside and a place for the bidders and spectators. The whole spectacle is run by Omani men dressed in their traditional clothes, and quite a few tourists find their way here.
What is nice here is that you feel very safe here; nobody is bothering you or trying to sell you anything. People are smiling and minding their own business. So even though it was crowded, it was not stressful; how it is for the sellers and buyers, I do not know of force. It was a pleasant experience before I headed for hitchhiking to my next destination.
