5/5 ali r. 4 years ago on Google • 76 reviews
An
old
stronghold
on
the
inland
side
of
the
mountain
is
Birkat
al-Mouz,
or
Pool
of
the
Plantains,
with
a
layout
similar
to
that
of
the
nearby
Jabrin
Palace.
Poised
across
the
yawning
mouth
of
a
great
pass
into
the
mountains,
Birkat
al-Mouz
was
one
of
the
fortresses
of
the
Bani
Riyam
tribe
which
controlled
the
mountain
heartland.
Collapsing
into
ruin
until
recently,
the
mud-brick
fortress
and
its
painted
ceilings
are
now
being
restored.
The
Jebel
Akhar,
Jabal
Akhdar
or
Al
Jabal
Al
Akhdar
(meaning
‘Green
Mountain’)is
part
of
the
Al
Hajar
Mountains
range
in
Ad
Dakhiliyah
Governorate
of
Oman.
It
extends
about
300
km
(186
miles)
northwest
to
southeast,
between
50–100
km
(31–62
miles)
inland
from
the
Gulf
of
Oman
coast
and
is
one
of
Oman’s
most
spectacular
areas.
The
highest
point,
Jebel
Shams
(Mountain
of
the
Sun),
is
around
3,000
metres
(around
9,800
feet)
high.
This
mostly
limestone
mountain
is
the
highest
point
in
Oman
and
the
whole
of
eastern
Arabia.
In
2019
Oman
by
UTMB
plans
to
include
Jebel
Shams
in
an
awesome
long
course
option.
Jebel
Akhdar
forms
the
central
section
of
the
Al
Hajar
Mountains
range,
and
is
located
around
150
km
(93
miles)
from
Muscat.
The
range
is
mostly
desert,
but
at
higher
altitudes
receives
around
300
mm
(12
in)
of
precipitation
annually
—
moist
enough
to
allow
the
growth
of
shrubs
and
trees
and
support
agriculture.
It
is
this
that
gives
the
mountains
their
“green”
name.
The
area
is
about
a
45-minute
drive
from
Nizwa
and
is
known
for
its
traditional
rose
water
extraction
and
agricultural
products
including
pomegranates,
walnuts,
apricots,
black
grapes
and
peaches.
It
is
also
the
site
of
honey
bee
breeding
for
much
of
Oman.
Agricultural
production
is
improved
by
the
use
of
Aflaj
irrigation
channels
and
their
associated
terraces
system
devised
by
the
local
farmers,
whose
ancestors
have
lived
on
this
mountain
for
hundreds
of
years.
The
Jebel
is
mostly
inhabited
by
the
ancient
Arab
tribe
Bani
Riyam
(al
Riyamy).
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