Wilayats in Muscat and its Representative
Wilayats in Muscat and its Representatives
Muscat Governorate is likely the central point for countries in the political, economic and administrative fields where there is Masqat City. Muscat is the capital of the Sultanate, the seat of government and the administrative apparatus of the state. Muscat Governorate is also an active station for economic and commercial activity for either local or global level or the communication between Oman and other countries.
Governorate of Muscat is situated on the Gulf of Oman at the south part of Al Batinah coast and linked from the east with the eastern Al-Hajjar Mountains and the eastern region and linked from the west by Batinah region and from the South by Al Dakhiliyah.
The Governorate is the most populous area of the Sultanate. The Governorate consists of six wilayats: Muscat, Muttrah,Bowshar, A`Seeb, Al Amerat and Quriyat. Every Wilayat is managed by Wali appointed by the governor of Muscat.
Wilayats in Muscat
Muscat
Bowsher
A`Seeb
Muttrah
Al Amerat
Quriyat
Wilayat Muscat
The Wilayat of Muscat runs along the Gulf of Oman across a long mountain range, which stretches, from Bandar Najih adjacent to the Wilayat of Muttrah on the northwestern side between the villages of Muttrah and Riam. Here the villages and mountains of Muscat extend as far as the village of Al Sifa at the borders of the Wilayat of Quriyat in the southeast.
Muscat has ten villages attached to it, these being Sidab, Haramel, Al Bustan, Al Jussa, Qantab, Yankat, Yiti, Al Khayran Al Sifa and Sifat Al Sheikh.
The city of Muscat is counted one of the older cities in history having been built at the outset of the Arab migrations, which preceded and followed the destruction of the Maarib Dam. We can safely say that its history predates the arrival of Islam by several centuries.
Fishing is one of the foremost traditional livelihoods in the Wilayat of Muscat, whose citizens are passionate in their love for fishing along the whole of its seacoast. Allied to the practice of fishing, as a livelihood is the craft of sewing nets. Four other crafts are also pursued here: basket weaving, tree felling, herding and folk medicine, in particular bone setting. In addition to that, there is another crafts such as:
Muscat is also distinguished by three other traditional industries and these are the designing of gold and silver jewelry, the making of local Omani confectionery and carpentry.
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Wilayat Bowsher
Bowsher is Situated between the sea and the mountains southwest of Muttrah, it includes 43 towns and villages. The most noteworthy of these are: Bowshar Al Qadima, Al Khoweir, Sultan Qaboos City, Al Ghubra, Al Adheeba, Ghala, Al Aa`lam (Information City), Al Sarooj, Al Ansab, Al Hamam, Al Awabi and Al Misfah.
Its archaeological remains and the ancient narratives suggest a history going back to the second millennium BC. Historian stated that this Wilayat has witnessed important events and has taken part in creating the history of Oman whereas the army of Hajjaj bin Yusuf al-Thaqafi has been defeated in (Albelkein) battle by Omani Azd warriors. It is also said –and it is likely to be true – that the name Bowshar is derived from the unrest witnessed by this district in the past, causing it to be called Abu Sharr (the Iniquitous One); until, when matters settled it was shortened to Bowshar.
The Beit Al Kebir (Great House) is amongst its most significant monumental remains. This monument of many names is also known as Beit Al Sayeda Thoraya or Beit Al Sayeda Thoraya, Al Fatah citadel and towers: Al Hammam, Sanb, Harat Al Awraa and the tower and Rawla and Sabla of Falaj Al Sham; the old suq of Bowshar and Al Khab. Foremost among the old mosques are the Al Najar Mosque in the Bowshar Bani Umran Municipality which was erected in the thirteenth century AH in addition to 66 mosquese in various cities and villages throughout the Wilayat. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is at the top of the modern mosques, which is situated at the heart of Wilayat and has been recently built on the expense of the Grand Sultan Qaboos.
Agriculture craft is likely the main craft for residents of Bowsher. They depends on the water comes from slopping water flow of aflags that are coming from mountains to water the various gardens. There is approximately 43 water channels, most of them are featured with hot water. Palm trees with its different types are among the important crops through the villages of Wilayat.
In addition to agriculture, there are also fishing and grazing crafts. There is also some traditional industries such as gold and silver casting and plaited palm frond ropes.
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Wilayat A`Seeb
Al Seeb lies to the west of the Wilayat of Bowshar, occupying a narrow strip of coastline along the rim of the Gulf of Oman for a distance of 50 kms. It is formed from 24 villages and townships.
In the past, it was called with (Dama and Seeb) due to the great flow of water. In addition to the abundance of historical monuments, it is featured with the title (The Jewel of Capital) due to the global construction boom it has witnessed likes its sisters in the last years.
There are approximately 140 mosques in A`Seeb. This Wilayat has many significant sights such as (Al Khodh citadel), Al Jifnain towers, Al Rusyail, Al Khars, Al Saleel, Wady Alhaya towers and Sourein)
Wilayat Muttrah
This is a city of trade and enterprise, with its port and commercial quarter.
Muttrah has eight residential districts: Muttrah City, Greater Muttrah, Al Wattia, Ruwi City, Wadi Addi, Darset, Qurum and the Port of Al Fahl.
It is said that the name Muttrah (a place to throw something down) comes from the presence of an anchorage for ships (i.e "throw down the anchor").
Another interpretation of the name is as of a place to "unload or put down goods or merchandise."
The Wilayat of Muttrah is counted amongst the most important of the six Wilayats in Muscat Governorate, on account of its ancient historical and cultural standing; for it was Oman`s ancient trading port and its suq was the principal source of the many and diverse goods relayed from the port to the other suqs of Oman. It is said that it was once also a fertile spot much cultivated with date palms and other trees, watered by aflaj and Sweetwater wells from which the citizens, orchards and visiting ships were supplied.
Muttrah boasts a number of archaeological and tourist landmarks in the shape of forts, walls, towers, aflaj and watercourses, as well as parks and gardens.
Muttrah Fort, known popularly as (Koot Muttrah) is one of the most prominent of the 13 forts scattered throughout the Wilayat. It has six towers, built under the Portuguese during their occupation of Muscat after 1578 G. It was the seat of government during the rule of Sultan Said bin Sultan Al Bousaidi and occupies an elevated site on the mountain overlooking the Muttrah coast.
Amongst the other forts are: Al Rouja, Mattirah Al Fanateef, Jebel Kalbou, Luzum, Hukum, Al Reeh, Sanjouri, Al Gharifa, Bahwar, Beit Falaj and Shaji`aia.
The most notable of the walls in this Wilayat the one that runs from the southern to the northern mountain. Known as Sur Ruwi, it has a gate in the center, which can with justification claim to Muscat`s first access gate on the northern interiside. It was constructed to regulate access to the capital when the Sultan bin Ahmed Al Bousaidi to this as his seat of government.
Muttrah has another three walls: Sur Al Lawati in which its buildings are feaured with the great engineering design and its terraces, which is overlooking to the sea route with the beautiful Islamic impression, and also Sur Muttrah Al Qadim (Old Muttrah), and Sur Jabarou.
It has three public gardens, in the Al Midan Al Tijari, Wadi Al Kebir and Riam quarters respectively; and two museums, the Armed Forces Museum and the National Museum, as well as the Islamic Library. In all there are 79 mosques in the cities and villages of the Wilayat.
The most distinguished crafts in this Wilayat are: trading, gold and silver casting and fishing.
The industries include halwa, plaited palm frond ropes, textiles, blacksmithing, silverwork, perfumes and the production of ambergris.
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Wilayat Al Amerat
This Wilayat is situated south of Muttrah and south west of Quriyat. It runs southwest along the direction of the watercourse of the Wadi Al Sireen at the end of Seeh. To the east is Muscat at the two towns of (Marazeh and Yiti). To the west is Bowshar from which it is separated by a chain of mountains.
Its consists of six principal villages: Al Amerat, the township of Al Hajer, the township of Jahlout, the township of Wadi Al Meeh, Wadi Al Sireen and the city of Nahda.
The Wilayat of Al Amerat with its 81 mosques was known in the past as Al Fatah and elsewhere as Al Mutahadamat, until the transformations of the Renaissance period brought with them a new and more appropriate name.
This Wilayat has both archaeological and tourist landmarks, the most noteworthy of which are the lead mines, the red ochre quarry, Beit Saharij, Wadi Sireen Nature Preserve, Wadi Al Meeh (Al Lajam) the Ghar Hadhadha Cave, the steep zigzag incline of Jebel Saqif and the Safah Al Bab well at the fool of the mountain. It has about 61 Faljs and 75 hills and featured with many palm trees, mangos and Al Sidr.
Local livelihoods are farming, goat herding, woodcutting, mining and quarrying for red ochre and flour. Spinning is practiced here traditionally, along with palm frond basketwork, gold and silverwork, confectionery, Plasterwork and construction.
Wilayat Quriyat
Quriyat occupies a narrow strip of coastline along the Arabian Gulf, the Wilayat of Muscat to the north and to the southeast; the Eastern Region Wilayats of Sur. South west is Dimma and Al Ta`iyeen, also in the Eastern Region. Eastwards is the Arabian Gulf.
The Wilayat has 29 villages and towns, including the town of Quriyat itself. These are Al Hajer, Al Wusta, Al Ma`ala, Al Jinan, AI Sahel, Al Ainein, Killiat, Affa`, Al Kerib, Al Ramla, Al Makhasrat, Al Shahbari, Dhaher, Muhaisa, Hail Al Ghaf, Al Masfaa and the Municipalities of Daghmar, Mazar`ia, Al Abraiyeen, Al Misfa`ah (Al Hiytan) and Al Abayaa.
The western villages are Sawaqim, Al Falij, Qatnit, Al Samir, Makhada, Al Haboubia, Seeh Al Basra or Seeh Al Gharizia, Al Ramitha, Hayfadh (Al Atb), Al Aafia, Al Salil, Al Fayadh, Al Tareef, Siy`a Al Alouwia, Ballal, Wadi Al Harim, Araqi, Siy`a AlHadaria, Al Qabel, Mawal and Taba.
The name Quriyat is probably derived from Quriyat, the plural of the word qariya or village. It was settled by a number of tribes before the advent of Islam and another set of tribes arrived after Islam, between the sixth and eighth centuries AH. The inhabitants of Quriyat are distinguished by their retention of many ancient Omani customs and traditions and their pursuit of the crafts and trades of their ancestors inherited from past ages.
The Wilayat is characterized by its undulating landscape of coastal plain and mountain and by an extended coastline with abundant fishing. It is renowned for its cultivations for it has both fertile soil and plentiful water supply.
The Wilayat has three strongholds, the most noteworthy of which is Quriyat Fort, built some 200 years ago in the era of Al Sayed Hamad bin Said Al Bousaidi who was Wali at the time.
Al Sahel Fort is on the coast, in contrast to Quriyat, which is inland. It was built under the Imam Naser bin Murshid Al Yarubi and was a base for the army commander in the reign of Seif bin Sultan Al Yarubi.
The third fort is Dagh, built during the Portuguese occupation and rebuilt under Sultan Taymour bin Faisal, who erected three other citadels in this Wilayat. The most notable of these is the Al Bourj Citadel adjacent to Quriyat Fort. The others were Sirah on the Quriyat coast and Kharmuwa in the village of Al Jinnin.
Quriyat is famous for a number of natural beauty spots frequented by both local and foreign visitors. Wadi Dhaiyqa is a favorite weekend destination, with its refreshing setting of rushing water and towering palms beside clean beaches. Bimma, Fanas and Dhabbab are the best known of the beaches. Finally Ras Al Shajar, with its tame animals, is another of the better known tourist spots in Quriyat. The Wilayat is famous for various mosques that up to 149 mosques and 25 Falajs.
Wilayat is featured with some traditional industries and crafts such as textiles, casting gold and silver, goat herding, woodcutting, mining and quarrying for red ochre and flour. Spinning is practiced here traditionally, along with palm frond basketwork, gold and silverwork, confectionery, Plasterwork and construction.