Birkat al Mouz sits at the foot of Jebel Akhdar, between the date palms of the plain and the grey wall of the mountain, and it is one of the places in Oman where the old water system is easiest to understand. The village is known for its falaj, a channel that carries water from the mountain through tunnels and open ditches to the fields, and the system here is part of the group of aflaj recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage. Water was shared out by the hour, using sundials by day and the stars by night, and a person called the wakil kept the accounts. The system is more than a thousand years old, and it still works, feeding groves of date palms, bananas, mango trees and small plots of vegetables.
Above the new village stand the ruins of the old one, a labyrinth of mud-brick houses, towers and alleys, abandoned as people moved to modern houses, and slowly melting back into the earth. It is worth walking through, if you can do so safely, for the sense of how people lived. The date plantation gives shade and a green relief from the desert heat.
The ride to Birkat al Mouz is straightforward. The main highway from Muscat runs towards Nizwa through the gap in the mountains, and a side road leads to the village. The surface is good, the bends are gentle, and traffic is light. Heat is the main factor, since summer temperatures can pass forty-five degrees, and the best time to ride is from October to March, when the days are warm and the air is clear. Start early, carry water, and wear light, loose layers over your protective gear.
Izki, about ten kilometres away, has fuel stations, shops and cafés, and Nizwa, the old capital and market town, is a short ride farther, with everything you need. The area is famous for dates, and you can buy fresh ones in season, along with halwa, a sweet, sticky dessert flavoured with rosewater and nuts. Take a cup of qahwa, the local cardamom coffee, if it is offered, and accept it with the right hand. It is a polite way to start a conversation.