All About Western Hajar Mountains in Oman | ExpatWoman.com
 

All About Western Hajar Mountains in Oman

The Western Hajar Mountains is located beyond Nizwa and rises over the 2000m above the surronding countryside.

Posted on

18 July 2013

Last updated on 14 June 2017
All About Western Hajar Mountains in Oman

Beyond Nizwa is teh southern area of Western Hajar Mountains which can be seen rising over 2000 metres above the surronding countryside. Within these mountains are rugged networks of wadi channels which have carved networks of dramatic canyons and caves. The most fertile of this area have been cultivated by the hardy shuwawis, mountain people, who have adapted to this harsh lifestyle under the tropic sun. At Wadi Tanuf, the ever-flowing springs are tapped to produce a commercially popular brand of drinking water. In Al Hamra, 400 year-old mud houses are still standing and occupied to this day. Out along the nearby wadi at Hasat bin Sult Rock, ancient petroglyphs estimated to be over 3000 years old lie in wait. The dark reaches of the Falahi/Hoti cave system await intrepid spelunkers. Hidden neatly in a crevasse on the mountainside lies Misfah al Abreen, a garden paradise of humble farmers and herders. The Western Hajar Mountains are 200 kilometres from Muscat which takes roughly around 2 and a half hours. It can be accessed bysaloon cars and 4 wheel drive cars that are available for hiring from the car rental agencies. In order to go onto the mountains and wadis they will have to have a 4 wheel drive.

Within these mountains, rugged networks of wadi channels have carved networks of dramatic canyons and caves. The most fertile of these have been cultivated by the hardy shuwawis, mountain people, who have adapted to this harsh lifestyle under the tropic sun. At Wadi Tanuf, the ever-flowing springs are tapped to produce a commercially popular brand of drinking water. In Al Hamra, 400 year-old mud houses are still standing and occupied to this day. Out along the nearby wadi at Hasat bin Sult Rock, ancient petroglyphs estimated to be over 3000 years old lie in wait. The dark reaches of the Falahi/Hoti cave system await intrepid spelunkers. Hidden neatly in a crevasse on the mountainside lies Misfah al Abreen, a garden paradise of humble farmers and herders.

To the west of Al Hamra is the road to Jebel Shams(mountain of the Sun), the tallest peak in Oman at 3010 metres. Here it is where you can find one of Oman's greatest natural wonders, the Wadi Nakhr Gorge. Inside the canyon, you can haggle with the local rug weavers, trek to the cliff dwellings along the canyon rim and visit remains of towns once occupied ages ago by Persian settlers. Rock climbers will want to test their mettle on the stony crags of Jebel Misht while antiquarians will want to visit the mysterious Beehive Tombs of Bat.

Egyptian Vulture


The mountains begin in the north, forming the Musandam peninsula. From there, the Northern Hajjar (Hajjar al Gharbi) runs southeast, parallel to the coast but moving gradually further away as it goes. The central section of the Hajjar is the Jebel Akhdar, the highest and wildest terrain in the country. Jebel Akhdar (and the smaller Jebel Nakhl range) are bounded on the east by the low Samail Valley (which leads northeast to Muscat). East of Samail are the Eastern Hajjar (Hajjar ash Sharqi), which run east (much closer to the coast) to the fishing town ofSur, almost at the eastern point of Oman. The mountains extend for 500 km in total. The low coastal land north and east of the Jebel Hajjar is named Al Batinah Region (the belly), and the terrain inland of the mountains is Ad Dhahirah (the back).

The mountains are an important ecoregion, the only habitat in eastern Arabia above 2,000 m elevation. The climate is cool and wet from December to March and warmer but still with occasional rain from April to September.

The mountains are rich in plant life compared to most of Arabia, including a number of endemic species. The vegetation changes with altitude, the mountains are covered with shrubland at lower elevations, growing richer and then becoming woodland, including wild olive and fig trees and then higher still there are junipers. Fruit trees such as pomegranate and apricot are grown in the cooler valleys and in places there are rocky outcrops with little vegetation.

A number of birds are found in the mountains including Egyptian and Lappet-faced Vulture. Mammals include the Mountain Gazelle and the Arabian tahr, which is endemic to the Al Hajar. Other endemic species include a number of geckos and lizards. The endangered Arabian leopard is still found in the Musandam Peninsula, according to new records of the Oman Ministry of Environment.