Soak up the history of Manal, an old Omani village

Manal is one of the villages of Wadi Bani Rawaha in the Wilayat of Samail in the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah. The village overlooks the main street heading to the governorates of A’Dakhiliyah, Dhofar and A'Dhahirah, and from there to the Governorate of Muscat.

Manal is an example of a village with authentic Omani heritage that tells the story of the originality of the Sultanate’s deep-rooted history. Buildings of the village were built with mud and lime mortar, locally called "sarooj". The village also hosts ancient tombs, mosques and old houses.

 Sheikh Is'haq bin Mohammed Al Hashami says, “Manal village is located at a small mountainside. The village houses “Al Qasr” mosque. Towers were built around it in the rocky heights. The history of the village goes back to the end of the second millennium BC, when an ancient cemetery was discovered behind the rocky slopes located to the west of the village. The excavations indicated that the village was inhabited at the end of the second millennium and the beginning of the first millennium BC. Bronze tools, shells and animal bones were found at this site, in addition to some Islamic inscriptions and rock drawings".

The modern houses at Manal village slope towards the east. As for the “Al Qasr” mosque, it was built far from the village. It is distinguished by its beautiful Mihrab and Islamic decorations. In 1998, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture restored the mosque.