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Birkit Al Mawz is on the eastern edge of the Rub' Al-Khali, in an area called the Sumail Gap. The gap is a break in the jebels, the Hajars, that separate the Omani coast from the desert. The ruins of the old town of Birkit Al Mawz sit on a jebel ledge on one side of the highway, and the new modern town is on the other side. The old town is framed by anticlinal strata on the jebel behind it, giving the town the nickname "the rainbow city." The ruins, built primarily of wood and clay, seemed deserted, but we soon ran into a number of residents and even saw signs of electricity. Peachy said most of the ruins were not as old as they looked; the climate is harsh, and wood and clay construction simply does not last.
The area beneath Birkit Al Mawz is green and rich with date palms. The water that allows these trees to flourish is supplied by the aflaj (singular falaj), a system of irrigation channels originating thousands of years ago, that carry water from wells in the mountains to the farms and villages at lower elevations. The stories Peachy told about the aflaj began with the digging of the Umm al Falaj, the mother well, a dangerous task due to the risk of flooding and cave-ins. He also told us about the water distribution systems in the villages, where water was distributed based on use, such as cooking and drinking first. After meeting basic needs, further distribution was based on "water shares," allocated by plot size and status of the owner. Shares could be traded, and each village even had its own water accountant. While a nice, picturesque diversion, Birkit Al Mawz provides little else. So after a short stay, we continued our one day "Peachy" tour to Nizwa. Click here to see all the pictures in the Birkit Al Mawz photo gallery.
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