Any visitor to Oman will be stunned by lush oases, ancient fortresses, sandy beaches, dramatic mountain scenery, rolling desert dunes, picturesque wadis, deep fjords and overly friendly people. This is all in one country. So it is the visitor’s choice to explore the ancient sites or to adventure!
But, there is one village in Oman that combines the charming nature, the ancient history, and many sites for lovers of adventure. This is the village of Al Alia, which is located between high mountains and embraced by beautiful trees with lush shades that made the place charming and lively in addition to its fresh Aflaj flowing everywhere, which gives a sweet symphony with its water.
The village of Al Alia is located in the Wilayat of Al Awabi, specifically in Wadi Bani Kharus, in the south of Al Batinah, 26 km from the center of the willayat and 150 km from the capital, Muscat. It was called by this name because it is located at the top of Bani Kharus Wadi.
Al Alia village is considered one of the beautiful tourist sites that attracts tourists as a result of its distinguished location, which is very close to Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, in addition to its mild weather in the summer. The village of Al Alia has many elements and tourist features that attract tourists, as it is famous for the diversity of high-quality agricultural crops as a result of its fertile soil, fresh water, and moderate atmosphere, which greatly helps in abundant agricultural production such as dates, mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, quince, bananas, peaches, apricots, figs, olives, papaya and guavas, in addition to vegetables: such as lemon, garlic, onion, tomato, lettuce, radish, pepper and others. Moreover, it is rich in many archaeological and historical places that testify to its status, including the archaeological sites, the house of Al Saroog, Sheikh Jaed bin Khamis Al Kharusi Mosque, Tomb of Sheikh Jaed bin Khamis Al Kharusi and the archaeological scripts on rocks.
There are historical rock inscriptions such as writings and drawings in the village of Al Aliya located specifically between the farms, locally called Al Rada. They are considered cultural treasures and a major historical source that traces the events of the Omani man back to many times.
Researcher Engineer Harith bin Saif Al Kharusi said “We can determine the history of rock drawings and writings in the Wilayat of Al Awabi at the beginning of human existence, where the ancient man wrote drawings and writings indicating his life and beliefs. We can also determine the history of some of those drawings by thirty thousand years, and this date can be inferred by comparing the style of the graphics with other similar styles in the world and the Arabian Peninsula in particular. He added that the period of rock writings began to increase with the end of the last ice age as the old Omani man wrote his stories on battles and how man developed from a cultural and religious point of view. Therefore, these rocks are considered a beautiful art painting that attracts tourists to take some pictures and learn how the Omani people lived in the old days.
the simplicity of people and calmness of the place forces you to repeat the visit to al Alia Village. People welcome you with a smile and they invite you for a cup of Omani delicious coffee.
people have a strong connection to their lands as they mainly depend on agriculture. all the families are engaged in this profession, men and women, young and old. they sell bartering their agricultural products such as mangoes, lemons, wheat and others.
In the past, children in al Alia learn reading, writing, and learn the teachings of the Holy Qur'an with a teacher in the village school. Today, they get enrolled in government schools and they get all other health services.
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