Al Mudhaireb - fort and old souq

There are many great forts in Oman - the most known ones are a bit over-renovated for our taste. You can also find the ones which are falling apart and soon not much will be left of them - they have a very special charm and atmosphere (check out this one) . The one in Al Mudhaireb is somewhere in between - renovation works have started but it seems they stopped though. The building stands, though there is no roof for the most part of it but it is still possible to go to the upper floors. There are tons of details and there are some wonderful old doors. 

Besides the fort, it is worth exploring the old souq - according to the signs they use it on Fridays. Make the effort to climb up to the watchtowers - the views are stunning!

There is an old falaj system also - as per the sign the source of the falaj is 7km from the village center, it is probably good fun to walk and follow it, something for next time.

To reach Al Mudhaireb it takes over 2 hours from Muscat and it might not be worth doing the drive just for this - however, it does make an excellent stop when driving to the Wahiba Sands. Other stops we recommend is Ibra's Al Minzafah neighborhood and the old market - if you are there, stop at Karma Cafe for a snack, drinks, and toilet!

Salon car and toddler-friendly - we visited in early March and it was already too hot, so take this into consideration!
Location: 22.613780, 58.675847

The view of the village and the oasis with the two remaining buildings of the fort. There are plenty of watchtowers around, it must have a very solid defense structure at its heydays.

The roof of the fort

Beautiful old doors practically everywhere

 

The old souq and market place - there is a nice pop of café in one of the old shops, worth for a stop!

The view from the hill above the village, from the highest watchtower.