Exploring Oman › Forts, souqs and things to do in Oman › Birkat Al Mouz
Photo: Lionel Duchoiselle (https://www.geodiversite.net/auteur386) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Birkat Al Mouz
Ruins, banana groves and a UNESCO falaj, the gateway to Jabal Akhdar.
At the foot of the Jabal Akhdar road: the abandoned mud-brick quarter of Harat Al Sibani stacked above banana plantations, with Falaj Al Khatmeen, one of Oman's five UNESCO-listed aflaj, running through it. Twenty minutes, or two hours if the light is good.
| Best for | Ruins + falaj on the way up Jabal Akhdar |
|---|---|
| Time needed | 1–2 hrs |
| Vehicle | Any car |
| Entry | Free |
| Status | Falaj Al Khatmeen is UNESCO-listed |
Open Birkat Al Mouz in Google Maps
How to get to Birkat Al Mouz
- On Route 21 just before the Jabal Akhdar checkpoint turn-off, 1h45 from Muscat.
- Park by the falaj or the mosque. Any car.
- Walk up into the old quarter from the plantation side.
What you'll do
- Follow the falaj as it splits through the plantations, this is living UNESCO engineering, not a museum.
- Climb through the abandoned houses of Harat Al Sibani for the view over the banana groves.
- Then start the climb to Jabal Akhdar, this is its front door.
Tell us your dates and how many you are and we'll connect you with an MHT-licensed tour operator, who organises and runs the trip.
WhatsApp Explores OmanThe guide is free. If you'd rather hand the planning to a licensed guide, send me your dates and I'll build your route: the order, the drives, where to sleep and what it costs. Every trip is different, so I quote each one.
Request a quote on WhatsAppTips from a local guide
- Late afternoon light turns the mud brick gold.
- Don't enter rooms with cracked lintels, these ruins are genuinely fragile.
- Stack it: Birkat Al Mouz → Jabal Akhdar sunset is the classic run.
What to bring
- Shoes with grip, the ruin paths are crumbly
Good to have
- Respectful distance from homes, people still live around the old quarter
Birkat Al Mouz: questions people ask
How long do you need at Birkat Al Mouz?
1–2 hrs.
Do you need a 4x4 to reach Birkat Al Mouz?
Any car.
Is Birkat Al Mouz good for kids?
Yes, it works with children.
Open Birkat Al Mouz in the guide app →
More near Nizwa
- Misfat Al Abriyeen, A mud-brick village in the mountains that time forgot to ruin.
- Jabal Akhdar, Rose terraces, cold air, and villages hanging off a cliff.
- Wadi Damm, Holds water all year, almost no wadi here does.
- Wadi Tanuf, A ruined village, a gorge, and almost nobody there.
- Oman Across Ages Museum, The billion-dollar museum in the middle of the country, worth the detour.
- Rose season on Jabal Akhdar, Three weeks a year, the Green Mountain turns pink.
From Exploring Oman, a guide to Oman by Hussain, a licensed Omani tour guide (@hussain_explores). 67 places and two 1-day plans, free to read; the 3, 5 and 7-day routes are in the app.
If you face an issue or something is incorrect, please contact us and we will make the necessary adjustments.