Birkat Al Mouz

بركة الموز

A lush oasis village at the gateway to Jebel Akhdar, famed for its extensive date plantations fed by a UNESCO-listed falaj. Visit for the atmospheric ruined Harat As Sibani mud village and shaded palm walks.

Things to do

• Explore Harat As Sibani — Wander the atmospheric ruins of this abandoned mud-brick village with its crumbling houses, narrow alleys and views over the palm groves.
• Walk the UNESCO-listed Falaj Al Khatmeen — Follow the ancient aflaj irrigation channel, one of five Omani falaj systems inscribed by UNESCO, as it winds through the plantations.
• Stroll the date plantations — Take a shaded walk beneath thousands of date palms fed by the falaj, especially lush and cool in the heat of the day.
• Visit Bait Al Redaidah fort — See the restored 17th-century fort near the falaj that once controlled water distribution and access to Jebel Akhdar.
• Gateway to Jebel Akhdar — Use Birkat Al Mouz as the launching point for the 4x4-only ascent up the winding road into the Green Mountain.
• Photograph the old mosque — Capture the simple traditional mosque within Harat As Sibani framed by palm fronds and mud walls.

Food to try

• Fresh Omani dates — Sample and buy dates straight from the village's famed plantations, best during the late-summer harvest.
• Shuwa — Try this celebratory dish of spiced meat marinated and slow-cooked underground for hours, typically served at feasts.
• Omani halwa — Taste the sticky, fragrant sweet made from sugar, rosewater, saffron and nuts, offered with kahwa to guests.
• Kahwa and dates — Accept the traditional cardamom-scented coffee served alongside dates as a gesture of Omani hospitality.
• Harees — Look for this comforting slow-cooked porridge of wheat and meat, popular in the mountain villages.

Local customs & good to know

• Dress modestly — Cover shoulders and knees when walking through the village and near the mosque, as this is a traditional rural community.
• Respect the falaj water — Do not wash, swim or drop litter in the falaj channels, as the water is used for drinking and irrigation under a shared community system.
• Watch your step in the ruins — The abandoned mud houses of Harat As Sibani are fragile and uneven, so tread carefully and avoid climbing unstable walls.
• Ask before photographing locals — Seek permission before taking photos of residents, particularly women, as a matter of courtesy.

Nearby

• Nizwa — 13 km
• Diana's Point — 14 km
• Jebel Akhdar — 14 km
• Wadi Bani Habib — 15 km