Page 192 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

I DISTRICTS 273

the industry of its inhabitants. It is divided into an upper town
(‘Alayah) and a lower town (Sifalah) by the Wadi Kalbu, the former
lying up-stream on the E. bank ; it is also traversed by the Wadi
el-Abyadh, which joins Wadi Kalbu near the market-place. The
water-supply of the upper town depends on a stream known as
Daris, that of the lower town on one called Ghunduq. The houses
are of stone, many two storeys high, but the streets are narrow.
Though the city is unwalled, it contains a number of walled quarters,
the houses being intermingled with date-palms, fruit orchards, and
gardens ; date-groves succeed one another continuously as far as
'I. : *
Raddah, five miles down the wadi.
• *
The great fortress of Nizwa, in the upper town, is reputed the
strongest in Oman, though it does not occupy an elevated position
and is hemmed in on all sides by dwelling-houses. It consists of
a large quadrangular enclosure, the Hisn, at one anglo of which is
the citadel, known as the QaVah, a huge circular tower of solid
masonry without window or loophole, on which are mounted several
parapet guns. The walls are immensely thick and well preserved,
the whole construction resting on a solid base which rises to a con­
siderable height above the level of the plain. The bazaar, which
is near the fort, is well supplied. The traders include coppersmiths,
braziers, dyers, makers of camel-saddles, potters, silversmiths,
cobblers, cameleen-weavers, carpenters, makers of halwa (the
national sweetmeat which is largely exported and for which Nizwa
is famous), blacksmiths, sugar and treacle-makers, masons, mat-
weavers, &c. The most noteworthy part of the bazaar is the
copper-market; the metal is imported in bars and sheets from
Bombay, and the finished copper and brass work is distributed
throughout Oman.
The dominant tribes in the population are the Beni Riyam and
the Beni Hina, who are mutually jealous and distrustful. The Beni
Riyam occupy the upper town, and their position enables them to
cut off the water-supply from the lower town, the strongest quarter
of which is occupied by the Bern Hina. Of the other tribes repre­
sented the Al Bu Sa‘Id is the most numerous. Nizwa is normally
in the possession of the Sultan of Oman, who maintains a Vali in
the fort with a garrison of 30 men commanded by an lAqid. About
$3,000 is collected annually as Zakat, but no balance is remitted
to Muscat. The Sultan owns date-groves, of an annual value
of $2,000, which are assigned to the Vali towards the expenses of
administration.
6. Farq, a large village on the 1. bank of the Wadi Kalbu, 3 miles
below Nizwa, in the continuous belt of date-groves. It consists of
ARABIA I 3

.* •: