14 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Falaj al Misfah: Working for a thousand years

The village of Al Misfah Abriyeen is known for its lush oasis, magnificent orchards, and year-round water source, the ‘aflaj.’ Falaj al Misfah, also known as “Fraifer,” is one of the oldest water channels in the area, dating back over 1,000 years.

Misfat Al Abriyeen is a mountainous town in Al Dhakhiyla Governorate, approximately 1,000 meters above sea level on the mountain foothills bordering Wilayat Al Hamra. The village derives its name from the Al Abri tribe, which originally comes from Misfat Al Abriyeen and Al Hamra.

Many traditional villages in Oman got abandoned to build modern houses close by. Thanks to tourism, some of these old villages are rehabilitated such as the charming Misfat al-Abriyeen famous for its ancient irrigation system or falaj.

falaj
Archaeological evidence shows that these irrigation systems were designed to irrigate farmlands as early as 2,500 BC.

Its falaj runs over more than five kilometers across lush fields. This falaj is distinguished by its constant flow of water, which emanates from a mountain spring in the valley’s center. This falaj’s canal is the sole supply of water for irrigating agricultural lands.

Archaeological evidence shows that these irrigation systems were designed to irrigate farmlands as early as 2,500 BC.

Falaj cannal

The water comes from subterranean springs in the mountains and travels for kilometers by gravity in man-made channels cut in the rocks before reaching the irrigated areas and being utilized for drinking and residential uses. The canals are mostly underground, but when they come closer to the farmlands, they open up. There, old rugs held down by stones called sarjra are used to open and close the irrigation channels and distribute water in a fair way to farmers growing dates, bananas, pomegranates, lemons, and more.

Misfat Al Abriyeen
Misfat Al Abriyeen

Falaj’s water is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There is also a water spring in this town, with a daily water flow of around 190 thousand gallons, according to sources. The town has a sulfur spring named “Al-Faj,” which locals and visitors come to heal from skin ailments.

Misfat Al Abriyeen village boasts amazing agricultural terraces, beautiful alleys, and old houses built on top of solid rocks. The old houses in Misfat al Abriyeen are traditional mud houses with palm-frond roofs and are unique in that they are built on solid rock foundations, surely as means of providing security during the olden times.

Related Articles

Karahantepe; It will radically change the way we look at the Neolithic Age

1 June 2022

1 June 2022

Findings on settled village life in the ongoing excavations in Karahantepe will profoundly change our knowledge of the Neolithic Age....

The first Dutch Neanderthal’s ‘Krijn’ face was reconstructed

7 September 2021

7 September 2021

World-renowned “paleo-artists” Kennis brothers have reconstructed the face of the first Neanderthal in the Netherlands. After more than 50,000 years,...

Restoration of the Duomo of Florence has revealed original polychrome paint

1 December 2022

1 December 2022

During the restoration of the Porta dei Cornacchini and the marble cladding of the northern side of Florence’s Duomo, extensive...

3D printing technology was used for the restored relic restoration of an ancient palace in Liangzhu Archaeological Site

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Six rebuilt massive wooden pillars of an old palace have been exposed to the public for the first time at...

The first mother-daughter burial from the Roman period found in Austria

3 May 2024

3 May 2024

Modern scientific methods are increasingly uncovering spectacular results from archaeological finds dating back a long time. A grave discovered 20...

Genetic Analysis Reveals A Woman As The Highest-Ranking Individual In Copper Age Spain: ‘Ivory Lady’

6 July 2023

6 July 2023

According to a study published Thursday (July 6) in the journal Scientific Reports, the highest-status individual in ancient Copper Age...

In the 1,900-year-old underground temple of Mithras religion in Zerzevan Castle, an area where participants of secret rituals stayed was unearthed

23 July 2024

23 July 2024

Excavations at the  Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır province in the southeastern part of Türkiye have uncovered an area where participants...

The excavation, which started in a cave in Turkey’s Mardin, turned into a huge underground city

19 April 2022

19 April 2022

In an underground city known used as a settlement in the early Christian era, in the Midyat district of Mardin,...

Bone tools for bleeding cows discovered in a 7,000-year-old cemetery in Sudan

24 March 2023

24 March 2023

During excavations in the Letti basin in northern Sudan, archaeologists have unearthed 7,000-year-old bone tools used to bleed cows. Explorers...

2500-year-old Persian ancient palace dish discovered in Oluz Höyük, Türkiye

18 October 2023

18 October 2023

A 2,500-year-old earthenware pot containing bone fragments and grains from the Persian-era palace kitchen was discovered during archaeological excavations at...

3500-year-old Ritual Table with All Its Ceramic Dishware Found in Azerbaijan

12 July 2024

12 July 2024

A joint team of Italian and Azerbaijani archaeologists has discovered a 3500-year-old ritual table with the ceramic tableware still in...

Sensational find in Ephesus: more than 1,400-year-old district discovered

29 October 2022

29 October 2022

During this year’s excavations at Ephesus in Turkey, archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (AW) discovered an incredibly well-preserved...

Archaeologists Uncover Roman London’s First Basilica Beneath an Office Basement

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery beneath an office building in London, unearthing a substantial section of the ancient city’s...

Giant handaxe discovered at Ice Age site in Kent, UK

8 July 2023

8 July 2023

Researchers in Kent in southeastern England have discovered a prehistoric handaxe so big it would have been almost impossible to...

The 3,000-Year-Old Ancient City is Under Danger

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

For the port planned to be built in Izmir’s Aliağa district, a part of the 3,000-year-old ancient city is in...