Ibri old neighbourhoods showcase simplicity of ancient life

The old neighbourhoods in the Wilayat of Ibri in the Al Dhahirah Governorate, along with its old souq, are among the oldest villages and markets in the Sultanate. This historical heritage and buildings date back to more than 500 years and had served as gateways for travellers and merchants, and have enjoyed wide fame and economic popularity throughout the ages. Some of the famous neighbourhoods in Ibri are Al Ramel village that was a witness to the persistence of ancestors who struggled and defied the difficulties to live a decent life. They worked hard for years to guarantee that they and the future generations will have a stable life. There is also Al Janor neighbourhood which is considered as one of the old villages which contains ancient homes and paths that bear witness to ancient history. The houses that are built with a high standards of safety and antiquity reveals the ingenuity of Omani architecture in building and construction as the arches and columns of these houses boast both solidity and durability. The Al Atsh neighbourhood still preserves the beauty of its ancient homes built of stucco and palm trunks decorated with carvings, columns and arches, and its large doors tell the beauty of Omani architecture. Among the most famous neighbourhoods is Al Shanadid neighbourhood near Ibri Fort, with only a few houses left, includes the Oad House, which is a symbol of this neighbourhood, as well as the Al Shuja’a Mosque and the Ali bin Said Mosque, which are two adjacent mosques with the same design. The two mosques are decorated with some carvings dating back more than 400 years, record historical events about that era in Omani history. Likewise, there is the Ziyada neighbourhood and Zainab neighbourhood, which are two ancient villages telling a long-standing past and a testament to the ingenuity of the Omani man in architectural construction, thus forming a cultural, civilisational heritage and a landmark in the Sultanate. The visitor to these ancient historical neighbourhoods will feel the ingenuity of the Omani civilisation in terms of its unique construction method in that era, which suggests the strength, solidity, homogeneity, coherence and familiarity among its inhabitants despite the simplicity of life. this is embodied in the interconnectedness and convergence of the houses with each other as if they were one house, with the presence of narrow lanes and small roads among those decorated houses.