Misfat al Abriyeen

Misfat al Abriyeen
مسفاة العبريين
Village
Misfat al Abriyeen is located in Oman
Misfat al Abriyeen
Misfat al Abriyeen
Location in Oman
Coordinates: 23°8′15″N 57°18′31″E / 23.13750°N 57.30861°E / 23.13750; 57.30861
Country Oman
GovernorateAd Dakhiliyah
WilayahAl Hamra
Population
 (2020)
962[1]
Time zoneUTC+4 (GST)

Misfat al Abriyeen or Misfah al Abriyyin (Arabic: مسفاة العبريين, romanized: msfā ālʿbryyn) is a village in the wilayah of Al Hamra in Oman.

Located in an oasis at 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level in the Western Hajar mountains, it has an extensive falaj water canalization system which dates back more than 2,000 years.[2] It is still in use nowadays to supply the village with water from a local spring, and to irrigate the terraced fields where crops such as mangoes, pomegranates, figs, and olives are grown.[3]

The settlement is perched on a rock, which acts as a natural fortification, and is characterized by narrow stone-paved roads and houses built with mud, stone and sarooj. Several of the buildings that are still standing date back more than 200 years.[4] Its architectural style has been described as similar to that of the Yemeni highlands.[5]

The village has undergone significant restoration work in the past years, with the creation of new hotels and heritage houses, and has been placed in the Best Tourism Villages list by the World Tourism Organization in 2021.[2][6]

The valley of Wadi Al-Saq can be reached from the village, and is a tourist destination for hiking and trekking.[7] From Misfat departs the trekking route W9 along an ancient donkey path, leading to the junction with W8 to Bilad Sayt and W10 to Sharaf Al Alamayn.[8]

  1. ^ "Misfat al-Abriyin (Al-Ḥamrā', Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, Oman) - Population Statistics". CityPopulation.de. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Misfat Al Abriyeen". Best Tourism Villages. UNWTO. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ ""مسفاة العبريين".. جداول وحدائق معلقة في سماء عُمان". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ ""مسفاة العبريين".. بلدة عُمانية ساحرة توفر النزهة والتسوق والرياض". alkhaleejonline.net (in Arabic). 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ Damlūji, Salmá Samar (1998). The architecture of Oman. Reading, UK : Garnet. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-85964-083-8. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Misfat al Abriyeen on UN list of best tourism villages". Oman Observer. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Wadi Al Saq in Al Hamra is an attractive tourist destination". Arabian Daily News. 8 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Oman Trekking Explorer" (PDF). destinationoman.com. Minister of Tourism, Oman. 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.