Oman

The mysterious beehive tombs in Oman

2hw — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 08:44:57 +0000

2hw Thu, 04/04/2019 - 11:44

Our trip to Oman was a memorable one - the sea, the desert, ancient forts and towns and hidden wadis. Everything was amazing, the real highlight, however, was visiting the Bronze age beehive tombs - 5000-year-old tombs with a peculiar shape, where the name "beehive" comes from and some of the oldest man-made structures in the world.

There are many sites scattered around the country where those tombs can be seen - some easily accessible by roads, others high in the mountains, where only a 4WD and an experienced driver can reach. We visited three sites - the beehives tombs at Al Ayn, Bat and Zukait, plus tried to find the Bawshar beehive tombs, in one of the Muscat neighbourhoods, but unfortunately, it seems they have been overtaken by urban development.

Even after 5000 years quality stone work still holds

The tombs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. The strange old buildings are called tombs, but in reality, no human remains are found there. No one is sure of their actual purpose - temples, or watchtowers, or maybe territory markers are some of the other possibilities. And while artifacts, like pottery and arrowheads, have been found and allowed the archaeologists to date the sites, nothing that would suggest what they were used exactly for has been unearthed. For now, the best guess is that those were tombs where prominent people were buried and probably functioned as temples as well.

The question of who built the tombs also remains open - today Oman has a dry desert climate - summers are hot with temperatures going 40C and over, winters are a bit cooler with occasional rain. But 5000 years ago it was a different picture with a lot more rainfall, flowing rivers and green valleys and during that time an old civilization flourished. Some researchers think it was the ancient civilization of Magan - mentioned in Mesopotamian cuneiform texts, or maybe it was a different advanced civilization, memories of which are now lost in time.

Check out our video from the beehive tombs sites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumCS79_B4

Al Ayn tombs

The first site we visited was the tombs at Al Ayn. There are fewer tombs here in comparison with the site at Bat and the towers are a bit smaller, but in our opinion, it was more impressive - first, the tombs are preserved wonderfully, and second, the view of Jebel Misht in the background - a mountain of exotic limestone, is nothing short of stunning.

We drove from Nizwa, it took us a little more than an hour. It was an enjoyable trip with beautiful views and nice roads.

Google maps has the correct location of the tombs and they are positioned on a small hill, visible from the main road, which is good as there are no signs to point you in the right direction. We drove up and down the main road for a while looking for a way to the tombs, then we had to stop and ask one of the very few people out in the sun. It turned out there isn't a road going to the site, so we stopped on the side of the main road - directly opposite the tombs, went through some farms via a narrow dusty path and then crossed the (dry) river bed to go up to the beehive structures. It is a 5-10 minutes walk.

There are 15-20 tombs here - most are very well preserved, some are crumbling. Each has an opening on the side - a door, but interestingly they are not all facing the same way. One can crawl inside and have a look of the small chamber. The feeling to stand next to something constructed 5000 years ago, to be able to touch the stones, thinking about the people who built those towers, who they were, what motivated them, what their lives were, is humbling and at the same time inspiring.

Some tombs are only partially ruined, revealing their building pattern

A glance inside the chamber

Bat Necropolis

The necropolis at Bat is the largest site of beehive tombs. There are smaller tombs with only one chamber, and then there are the larger ones with 3-4 chambers. Tombs in various stages of decline - from barely recognizable piles of stones to partially restored, almost brand new looking big conical buildings - are scattered in the area and visible on the nearby hills. The size of the site is impressive if that was an actual necropolis, a graveyard, the city it was attached to must have been quite something.

This was the second beehive tomb site we visited, the same day after the Al Ayn cluster. It should be noted that the road via Ablah is not sealed, we decided to go with the highway via Ibri and Ad Dreez, which was probably a bit slower, but a better driving experience.

Finding this site proved to be a bit of a challenge. They are not visible from the main road but can be seen on the satellite image on Google maps and the spot that Google has for them is correct. We turned onto a dirt road at those coordinates: 23°16'34.8"N 56°44'29.1"E https://goo.gl/maps/4ztGoxf6HcH2 and followed it until we saw the actual ruins and were able to navigate there.

This site is huge - there are several clusters of tombs along the dry river bed for 1-2 km and spread on the hills nearby. Some are smaller ones - like the tombs we saw in Al Ayn, some are bigger, with several chambers. There are a few that seem to be reconstructed recently, probably by archaeologists and a lot of completely untouched beehive structures - some in good condition, others in neat circular piles of stones.

We did not expect to find so many tombs, most of the photos we had seen on the Internet showed one or two, and all the articles hadn't prepared us for the sheer size of this place. It is tombs as far as you can see, and looking at the hills nearby you start to notice the easily recognizable little piles all over.

There are no signs anywhere, nothing to explain or even mark the place. We stopped at the first cluster, the one that is right on the point Google maps has for the Bat tombs - there is a wire fence around it, but a small opening on one side allows the visitors to enter. After that we took a walk to a nearby hill to explore the tombs visible along the ridge - none were preserved, but the piles and in some cases chambers of the ruined building were still visible.

As it was hot and sunny in the middle of the day we decided to jump in the car and follow one of the dirt roads that looked like was going in the direction of the next cluster of tombs visible along the dry river. It took us where we needed, and exploring on foot and in the car we spent more than an hour around the place.

The beehive tombs in Bat are simply amazing, the last memory of a long-forgotten civilization, now lost in the wrinkles of times. I keep asking myself why this place is not more popular, and probably with the advance of tourism in Oman the crowds of hungry tourists will get there eventually, but now, walking all alone around the silent crumbling structures is a spiritual experience.

Zukait tombs

150 km south-west of Bat is another beehive tombs site - the one near the village of Zukait. It is smaller, but still interesting to see, the tombs are located on the ridges of several hills. Probably because it is close to Muscat, a little over an hour, and on the road to Nizwa, this was the only place we saw other tourists - a couple with their guide.

Getting to the tombs was easy - Google maps knows exactly where to guide to, at the edge of the village, to a small parking lot and a covered BBQ area. A short walk up a staircase to the top of the hill leads to the visible from the road tombs.

At this site, the tombs are the smaller type and not in the best condition. The better-preserved ones are each surrounded by a wire fence cage. Built to protect from overly curious tourists, this makes it harder to take good pictures and takes a bit of the experience, unfortunately.

Looking at the surrounding hills and the crumbling piles of what were beehive tombs outlined against the horizon it is clear that this site was of considerable size too. There is no path to the farther tombs, but one can walk there with a bit of effort.

Date Visited

November 2018

Destinations

Asia
Oman

Comments

Amazing ruins in Oman (+ video walk)

2hw — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:14:13 +0000

2hw Tue, 12/11/2018 - 12:14

There are numerous sites in Oman where abandoned houses can be seen. Read our story to understand when and why this happened, what is left there now, where to find some gems and immerse yourself in the atmosphere trough our video walk at the end of the article.

One of the most popular are the Tanuf Ruins, about 20 minutes drive from either Bahla or Nizwa. Worth visiting because the still well preserved village has some impressive sights, including a part of a mosque's minaret tower and stretches of defense wall. Until the late 1950s this was a thriving village, but during the Jebel Akhdar rebellion most of it got destroyed and the people never came back, but decided to build a new city (the nowadays Tanuf) nearby. For half a century the elements continued the destruction of the village and now those ruins have become a popular tourist attraction.

Tanuf Ruins

Tanuf Ruins - the old minaret

Not every ruined village has such a sad story behind it. In many cases the rapid economic growth in the sultanate has allowed people to move out from the mud houses into buildings with electricity, water and all the amenities of a modern home.

Once a wealthy family lived here - Harat Al Nizar

Walking through the empty streets guarantees a cocktail of emotions. Seeing so many houses being eaten by erosion naturally brings up melancholy, but it is quickly wiped by the knowledge that the former inhabitants now have a much better lifestyle.

We were quickly overtaken by the desire to explore and it is such a rewarding experience. If one dares to step into some of the houses many surprises await. I'm not talking about the stray cats that can be seen occasionally, but about some well preserved rooms, intricate wooden carvings on doors, windows and shelves, some pieces of pottery and so on. Pieces of metal still remain in forms of nails and hooks - some decorated, we even found a century old padlock.

Part of a door frame at Harat Al Nizar

As you can see some houses have three and even four floors, but going up the stairs is very dangerous. Many of the staircases are completely destroyed, the rest look unstable and every step is a risk. I was lucky (and stupid) enough though to climb to some rooftops that offer amazing views.

Staircase to nowhere - Harat Al Nizar

Al Manah - view from above

The rarest find is something that could've been seen only in the richer homes back in the days. Surviving until now is a true miracle, so it is worth taking a closer look anytime - painted walls and ceilings. Seeing vivid, bright colors even on a small surface in those dusty, yellowish ruins is like finding gold in a pile of mud.

Beautifully decorated living room at Harat Al Nizar

Painted ceiling at Birkat Al Mouz

During our trip to Oman we visited many ruins, including:

Tanuf Ruins (Google Maps) - Probably the most famous of the ruins we visited and the only place we actually saw other tourists.
Al Hamra Village (Google Maps) - We went to see Bait Al Safah Museum and discovered that the village around it is partially abandoned. Still some houses are inhabited and the museum itself is in one of the restored old houses, worth visiting to see how it has been and how it is now.
Al Ghabbi Ruins (Google Maps) - We saw the ruins from the main road and decided to explore - in very bad shape, authentic post-apocalyptic feel. There is a Google Maps marker with has wrong image and description.
Ruins of Manah (Google Maps) - just next to Fiqain Castle. Old village with many preserved streets and big houses, some with more than 10 rooms.
Birkat Al Mouz (Google Maps) - small and not completely abandoned, most impressive feature is the fully operational falaj (water irrigation system).
Harat Al Nizar (Google Maps) - Located over the Jarnan Cave in Izki. This is a pretty big village and looks recently abandoned. Many interesting details inside the houses.

Want to go for a walk trough some of these mysterious old ruins? Watch our video:

https://youtu.be/FDAtED-OsL0

Destinations

Asia
Oman

Gallery

Tanuf Ruins

Well preserved carved door at Al Hamra

Somebody feeds the stray cats at Al Hamra

Al Ghabbi ruins

Look at the details of this window

Working falaj (water channel system) at Al Manah

Birkat Al Mouz Ruins

Harat Al Nizar Ruins

Comments

Complete guide to driving in Oman

2hw — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 04:06:59 +0000

2hw Tue, 11/27/2018 - 06:06

When planning your trip to Oman one of the important aspects to consider is transportation. Even if staying in Muscat only, options like walking, cycling and public transport are not viable, you will have to rely on taxis to get around, which is not very convenient. The best way is to hire a car, it is easy, safe and gives you complete freedom to explore everything this great country has to offer.

Lets start with a video that might give you some idea what to expect. This is a compilation from our 2000+ kilometers journey in Oman featuring various kinds of roads, stunning desert and mountain scenery and some happy camels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8qG9PuoUd0

This is my complete guide to driving in Oman, I have tried to include all the relevant information, but if you have a question or want to add anything - please do so in the comments section below.

Before you go

Renting a car

It's always a good idea to have a car booked before your holiday, especially during high season. Take your time to compare the options you like and reserve one in advance, pay attention to all details. For example hiring a 4x4 doesn't guarantee unlimited off-road access with full insurance coverage. I also noticed many companies offer their best deals with limited kilometers - this is not a bad thing - make some rough calculations of your planned trip, add a generous overhead and see how this number compares with the total limit on your rental. Even if you have to use some extra kilometers they may have an affordable price and if you expect to use just a little bit - the total will not be much different than the original quote.

Best approach is to pick the car up when you land and drop it off just before your flight - Muscat Airport offers a large range of both international and local rental companies and most operate 24/7, making it very easy to organize. Zero dollars for taxis this way.

Documents

One must have a valid drivers licence (and if applicable, an IDP) to get the rental car, and don't forget to always carry it with you when driving, along with the car's documents, rental agreement and your passport. Also, read the fine print and confirm all details from the rental agreement, this will help avoid any surprises later.

the road to Jebel Shams - 90 degrees incline is really a small overstatement

Navigation

Finding your way following the road signage isn't too difficult, but I would strongly advice for using Google Maps. We were in Muscat on the day they enabled navigation for Oman, so now it is fully functional navigation system. To make the most of the app download offline maps for the areas you intend to visit (or the whole country, it's not large) - this way you can use it even in places with spotty network coverage.

Warning: Oman has a rapidly developing road infrastructure and new roads are built all the time, new lanes are being added to existing highways, level crossings and intersections pop up almost overnight. As a result Google Maps might have a slightly older idea of what is around you, for example according to the app a 4-way intersection (2 roads crossing) in reality might be a roundabout, a cloverleaf interchange, or something even more complicated. Don't forget to use your brain and not to follow every command given by the app blindly.

Roads, signs and culture

The highways, main roads and the majority of secondary roads are in very good condition, well built (many are fairly new) and well maintained - no potholes, no rubbish, no debris. Traffic outside of Muscat is usually light and driving is a pleasure.

Oman is the first country where I saw roads fully lit at night outside of the cities - yes, even remote, country roads are bathed in yellowish light so you don't even need the high beams and driving at night is easier than usual.

Night driving in Oman - safe and easy on the well illuminated roads

There are enough signs to keep the drivers informed about limits, upcoming hazards and intersections. Majority of signs are in English, speed limits are often shown in Western Arabic (European - 0123...) numerals and Eastern Arabic (٠١٢٣...) numerals. However, especially on some long, boring stretches of road one might get the feeling that there are no signs for a long time, so no rules - that's not the case.

Speed limits in Oman are as follows: 120 km/h on highways, 90 km/h on rural roads and 40 km/h in residential areas, with the popular exceptions of 60/80 km/h on main urban roads, all that is unless otherwise signed. Do people obey those? Mostly - yes. On highways and some main roads there are speed cameras literally every kilometer and serious speeding there is uncommon. With that said, better don't block the fast lane driving with the limit, plenty of drivers go 10-15 km/h over and will be stuck very close on your back until you move. Going further away from civilization on rural roads there are no cameras and police posts are few and far between - we saw some cars moving as there was no speed limit at all there. This is not a good time to apply the "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" rule, my advice is to follow all the rules and obey the limits at all times.

Even handmade signs are translated in English

In general driving in Oman is safe, huge majority of Omanis obey the rules enough to create a safe driving culture, but of course one has to always pay attention, especially in an unfamiliar environment. More on what to focus on you can read in the next section about the road hazards in Oman.

Dangers on the road

Animals crossing

Goat and sheep herds grazing, camels and donkeys walking are a common sight and as most roads do not have fences the animals occasionally decide to cross the road. Unfortunately their attempts are not always successful, which is tragic for both the animal and the vehicle(s) that hits it. Signs should indicate areas with higher camel concentration, but always watch out for the four legged dangers - big or small. Omanis are courteous drivers and you might see them using hazard lights to indicate that there is something happening in front of them, like a goat crossing or if they are rapidly slowing down for whatever reason. If there is an animal on the road and you have to hit the breaks, do the same - warn drivers behind you by pressing the red triangle button on your dashboard.

I'm coming for you...

If you are tempted to snap a photo of a "wild" camel - do it safely by carefully pulling off the road, using indicators and only if safe to do so. Keep in mind that camels spit, bite, kick and are generally not friendly, so give them some distance.

Speed bumps

More common than in most countries, speed bumps are everywhere in Oman. Many (but not all) have warning signs before them, most (but not all) are clearly visible, and there are some nasty exceptions that might sneak up on you and surprise you, especially when going fast. Even when driving carefully one might have a "Oh, where did that come from?!" moment, so just look out for the bumps. Also, when the car in front of you decelerates rapidly for no apparent reason - be prepared that it might be a speed bump ahead.

Floods

Many roads cross or even go along river beds in Oman. The good news is that it doesn't rain very often. The bad news is that when it does a flash flood can make it impossible even for the toughest off-road monsters to use a main, sealed road. The dangerous spots are clearly signed, many crossings have depth indicators.

Sand on the road

That's something locals warned us about - wind can blow sand on the road. This happens in the central, desert parts of the country and the roads that can be impacted are main roads, including highways. It may start as a thin layer of grains that make the surface slippery and can escalate to the more extreme - sand dunes covering sections of the road completely.

Road changes

Unsealed roads are still considered main roads in Oman. What is even worse is that sometimes a beautiful, new, sealed road might just end abruptly and turn into a dirt road for the next 30 kms. I believe this is due to the rapid construction, probably soon the whole road will be sealed, but for now - be ready for some slightly bumpy rides.

Enjoy the cheap gas

One of the benefits of driving in an oil rich country is the low price of fuel. 0.222 OMR ($0.58, €0.50, A$0.82) per liter (as of November 2018) of regular gasoline is most likely better price than your home country - for us Aussies is about half price. And it gets even better - this is the same price everywhere - every station, every city. There are three main gas station chains in Oman - Oman Oil, Shell and Al Maha - they all have the same price, we used all three and the service was good everywhere, usually staff fill up your car.

Many roundabouts in Oman have beautiful sculptures themed to the region

Parking

One of the things I really loved in Oman was parking. Paid parking exists only in some of the touristy areas in Muscat and even there it is cheap and the tariff applies between 8:00 and 13:00, then from 16:00 to 21:00.

Park anywhere you like, also - did you see the tiny minaret?

Everywhere else, except those tiny zones it is like paradise. You can park everywhere. Any way you like. For as long as you need. If you are not blocking an entrance, traffic or other parked vehicles nobody will complain. Just a golden example of "live and let live".

Hospitality level: Oman

It goes even further, a great example of Omani hospitality - parking spots reserved for tourist vehicles. I almost cried from joy when I saw this on the parking in the center of Nizwa. I've seen the exact opposite in other parts of the world - tourist information centers with no parking spots around, inflated parking fees near tourist attractions and so on, but the photo below shows a place, where tourists are really welcome.

Do I need a 4x4?

Many tourist attractions in Oman can be reached with a regular car and spending the extra money on a 4x4 may be unnecessary. We had a good SUV for our first trip and it got us without any problems through many dirt roads, but it simply doesn't work for real off-road conditions. If you want to go camping or have full access to all the wadis, desert and mountain areas be sure to get a decent 4WD vehicle. If Jebal Akhdar (The Green Mountain), Wahiba Sands or The Empty Quarter are on your list - don't even look at the cars and SUVs, you will need a 4x4.

Sedans not allowed

Don't worry, even if you don't have a capable machine there are many options to change your plans. Nearby those areas a 4x4 can be rented for a half or full day and most likely some locals will offer you various tours with their reliable Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols.

Which brings me to my last point - if you don't have any off-road experience the desert is a dangerous place and it is not a good idea to learn the basics there. In this case consider a tour or hiring a driver with a vehicle.

No 4WD? Then... Nope!

Funny story: On the way to Wadi Al Arbaeen we were going fine along a dirt road until we reached this tiny creek from the photo above. It was during the dry season, water depth was about 20 cm and I was just thinking about going trough with our SUV, when a dingy old Jeep Wrangler came in the opposite direction. I watched with interest him crossing, expecting just a splash of water. The moment I saw the mean machine sinking deep and digging trough half a meter of pebbles, almost pushing the top layer with it's bumper I decided to just turn around and find another way.

Two pleasant surprises

We noticed those peculiarities, not exactly related to driving in Oman, but part of the culture nonetheless and I thought are worth sharing.

Love for the Sultan

Qaboos bin Said al Said is the Sultan of Oman since 1970 and the love, respect and admiration Omanis give him is deep and omnipresent. Also totally deserved, as he has done many great things for the country, but that's a different topic. Images of Sultan Qaboos are proudly displayed on many cars, old and new, fancy and cheap - from small stickers to airbrush paintings and decals covering the whole vehicle. Most often the Sultan image, a symbol of the nation, shows him in traditional attire or a military uniform with the Omani national flag as a popular background.

Leave it running

How safe is your country? Do you feel safe enough to leave your car running on the street or at the supermarket parking? No? Well, most likely you don't live in Oman.

I've heard about this, but I have to admit it was a complete surprise to see it - people do leave their cars unattended, with the keys in, with engines running in Oman. Most likely to keep the AC on, oh and probably because crime rates are low enough. And people trust each other. So don't be surprised if when walking towards your car you hear an engine running, but nobody is inside.

Destinations

Asia
Oman

Oman

The mysterious beehive tombs in Oman

The mysterious beehive tombs in Oman

Al Ayn tombs

Bat Necropolis

Zukait tombs

Destinations

Comments

Amazing ruins in Oman (+ video walk)

Amazing ruins in Oman (+ video walk)

Destinations

Gallery

Comments

Complete guide to driving in Oman

Complete guide to driving in Oman

Before you go

Renting a car

Documents

Navigation

Roads, signs and culture

Dangers on the road

Animals crossing

Speed bumps

Floods

Sand on the road

Road changes

Enjoy the cheap gas

Parking

Do I need a 4x4?

Two pleasant surprises

Love for the Sultan

Leave it running

Destinations

Tags

Gallery

Comments