Harat al Heera in the Wilayat of Al Kamil W’al Wafi is just one of the over 1,000 ancient districts, or Harats, in the Sultanate of Oman. These districts are part of the country’s rich cultural and architectural heritage, but they have become a cause for concern due to unhygienic conditions in the area.
Some workers are said to have been living in some of the abandoned mud houses, which is dangerous, unsafe and making the areas unhygienic.
An academic study conducted by some Omani students in the ‘Citizenship Education Project’ framework showed that out of the 60 existing houses in Harat al Heera, 19 are being used by some workers.
The study recommends the need to check the phenomenon and invest in the interest of tourism.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has given special attention to these historical districts, with a strategy to document these locations and prepare detailed data, pictures, and drawings showing the types of buildings and engineering divisions for each lane separately.
The ministry has begun restoring some of these lanes to protect and document the places of national heritage and develop as tourist spots.
While officials have made efforts to address the issue, an Omani citizen has called for a careful study to recover the social, literary, religious, and economic values of these sites.
The sites store the cultural, architectural and heritage values of the Sultanate of Oman. “It is crucial to find a solution,” he added.
Text and photos by Yahya al Salmani
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