Below: Nizwa
date merchant Ali
Al Manthri with a
basket of Hilali
dates. Bottom:
dates coated in
sesame seeds
at Abu Eyad Al
Manthri. Right:
Nizwa Fort.The next day we drive two hours south-west to
Nizwa, the old capital city. The highway is flanked by
the Al Hajar mountain range to the west, in the centre of
which lies our destination for the evening, Jabal Akhdar
mountain. To the east, large stone houses, mostly
two-storeyed to accommodate extended families as is the
Omani custom, cluster in sun-baked towns on the flat.
Nizwa is near deserted in the midday heat, rising
well into the 40s. One of the few people to be seen is
a Bedouin sitting cross-legged in the shade of his van,
smoking as he awaits customers for his dried shark.
The souk is likewise quiet, but the Abu Eyad Al
Manthri date shop is doing a lively trade. A dozen
varieties of date are on offer, ranging in colour from
creamy caramel to rich dark brown. Some are coated
with sesame seeds or filled with tahini. Dates feature
in myriad sweets, alongside various iterations of Omani
halwa flavoured with saffron, rosewater, dates or nuts,
including a pungent garlic-infused version eaten as
a morning tonic. Proprietor Ali Al Manthri, offering
the customary dates and coffee, tells us he can have
up to 40 varieties on sale, from 250 or so varieties
indigenous to Oman.
The ascent of Jabal Akhdar is restricted to
four-wheel drives, a rule enforced at a checkpoint
at the foot of the mountain. It’s a wide, sealed road,
with plenty of laybys where we can admire the view
over the ranges, but it’s steep and tortuous. As we
near the top there’s a loud crack like a gunshot.
“Chips!” shouts Ahmed over the engine. A packet
in his snack supply in the back has succumbed to
the altitude. It’s like an exclamation mark for the
2,000-metre sign we just passed.
Jabal Akhdar means green mountain, which
seems a misnomer when we reach the grey-brown
plateau at the top. But the region is renowned for
its roses, from which rosewater is distilled, and for
peaches, grapes and pomegranates; limbs heavy with
the rosy fruits can be glimpsed hanging over garden
walls everywhere.
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort seems to
emerge from the rocky landscape as its terracotta-
hued buildings of local stone heave into view. It
sitsspectacularly on the brink of a canyon surrounded
by craggy peaks and overlooking precipitous terraces
of greenery. The welcome here is as fragrant as it is
exotic. Frankincense billows through the lobby, which
opens to a grand courtyard with seating around a
central fireplace, and a café specialising in tea. The
signature blend is infused with the famed local damask
rose, while the minted Moroccan tea is refreshing in
the heat, which hasn’t dropped noticeably despite the
elevation. From here a watercourse, echoing ancient
falaj irrigation channels, bisects a sprawling garden of
native shrubs, pomegranates and roses. Dramatically
lit at night, it leads the way to the cliff’s edge.132 GOURMET TRAVELLER