Mud mansions
Arched windows.
Andries3 — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Andries3 — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Andries3 — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernhard Dunst — CC BY-SA 4.0
Al Minzafah is an old quarter of Ibra in eastern Oman, full of large mud-brick mansions, most of them abandoned. Earth-coloured walls hold arched windows and wooden doors, small forts and towers rise above them, palms grow between the houses and narrow lanes wind through. The quarter lies on the western side of Wadi Ibra, about 1,300 m south of Ibra's souq, according to the tourism ministry. Ibra is one of Oman's oldest towns and grew rich as a centre of trade and learning on an important trade route, and its people built these large two-storey houses. The quarter is known for its forts, towers and houses of plaster and mud. Restoration of Bait Al Derwazah began in 2012 to encourage residents to restore their old homes. You walk the lanes between the houses, seeing windows, doors and plaster decoration, and go into restored houses when they are open. Early morning and late afternoon are best, when the light warms the walls. The quarter is about 4 km in a straight line south of central Ibra. The abandoned houses are fragile, so do not climb walls or enter cracked rooms, and respect the houses still lived in.
Arched windows.
Over the quarter.
Among palms.
West bank of Wadi Ibra, south of Ibra souq, North Ash Sharqiyah
Early morning or late afternoon.
Most are empty; some are lived in or restored.