Old heritage homes tell tales of life when the world was far removed from modernisation; when life was laidback and the day was knit together by the society one resided in; when evenings ended with the mandatory meetings under the neighbourhood tree to chit-chat and stay connected.
While some villages still retain flavours of such old homes with hints of traditional life, changes in the economic front and advancements in technology have altered the fabric of village life in many others, injecting the earthy textures of mud homes with cold concrete vibes; replacing the quintessential meeting place under the tree with stores and supermarkets. Many have renovated old homes to stay on par with the changing tides in the society, and others have abandoned theirs to move lock, stock and barrel to cities where homes are incorporated with modern décor and design elements.
It is these abandoned heritage homes that are proving to be a big draw for visitors seeking to savour life as it was in early days. They are the bridges of heritage, linking the present with the past; they are touristic narrations, offering newer dimensions for visitors and tourists to experience a slice of history.
For crumbling walls, broken windows and cracked roofs tell stories of people whose everyday lives were connected to nature, weather and the habitat. There is a kind of rugged romance in the broken structures; an invitation to explore the little nooks and corners and feel the passage of time. They stand as edifices of heritage, presenting a peek into times gone by.
And when such heritage homes are preserved to create avenues for an up-close and personal dekko of olden times, there is bound to be interest generated on the travel and tourism front – both for domestic and international tourists. It is towards this end that the Ministry of Tourism has been encouraging locals to convert old homes into green heritage tourist guesthouses to give visitors a taste of Oman’s rich cultural heritage.
On the Ministry’s agenda are plans to give licenses to citizens who are interested to invest in such heritage homes so as to provide interesting boarding and lodging options for visitors to these areas. And to ensure that these homes meet certain standards, it has adopted benchmarks for classifying them. Ministry representatives have initiated visits to homes that have the potentials to turn into heritage inns. The larger objective is to ensure that the standards are maintained and that tourists get good deals while booking for a stay in one of these lodges with the intention of gleaning information about Oman’s traditions and customs, as well as its social life. On the sidelines of these homes is an introduction to Omani crafts that are distinctive to different wilayats and regions of the country.
These endeavours will not only help in preserving old heritage homes, they will also provide an investment avenue, while tourists gain from the experience of reliving life as it once was, albeit with the comforts of modern day amenities. A few such guesthouses have already gained the attention of tourists and even visitors, who find the rustic charm of old days adding an element of novelty to their stays.
One such is the Nizwa Heritage Inn, which has found interesting ways to revive ancient lanes, while highlighting the history of the region. Located in the village of Al Aqar, a historically important village in Nizwa, the inn is equipped with all the modern amenities, with the difference created by incorporating traditional setups. Guests here not only get to enjoy the natural bounty of Nizwa and its historical edifices, they also get to savour life of grand old days with traditional food and entertainment.
Another is the Al Nakhr Inn in the Wilayat Al Hamra in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, which presents the beautiful vistas of Al Hamra and the wadi which flows through Jabal Shams. On offer at the Inn is an array of traditional Omani food, mountain trips, and guided treks in the Wadi with access to fresh water ponds for those who want to get in for a dip.
Al Misfah Hospitality Inn in the village of Misfat Al Abriyeen in Wilayat of Al Hamra is equally popular with guests wanting to experience the old world charm of Misfat Al Abriyeen. Located about 200kms away from Muscat, the inn is a restored ancient house overlooking the green palm groves of the region.
With hints of past laced within its walls and history packed into nooks and crevices, old mud houses are proving to be beautiful canvases of tourism for those with a taste for all things heritage and culture.
