The people of Al-Ghafat say that the youngest house in the old village is about 500 years old. Walking around the old village and the surrounding area you will get a glimpse of the traditional Omani village life.
During the late 60’s a British film crew arrived in the village as part of a documentary titled “Oman: The Land Where Time Stood Still”. The film shows a time when the old village was still inhibited.
Since then, the old village has been abandoned and people have moved out of the area. Despite the rain and lack of maintenance, the village buildings remain somewhat in a preserved state. They stand as a testimony to the engineering skills and craftsmanship.
The old village consists of small houses, for the villagers, and larger housing complexes, for the Sheikhs. There is a small mosque in the centre, which has been renovated. Opposite the mosque is the school where the Sheikh’s children used to study and learn the Quran. Walking through the village and exploring it’s houses and alleyway is like going though a time portal.
The old village is a short walk from the carpark location above. Follow the road, keeping the cemetery to your right and you will eventually reach the Eastern Mosque.
You can also drive through the old village, as locals do. However, the road is very narrow and large vehicles do cause damage to the old buildings.
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