旅遊資訊

Qurayyat occupies a narrow strip of coastline along the Arabian Gulf, the Wilayat of Muscat to the north and to the south east the Eastern Region Wilayats of Sur. South west is Dimma and Al Ta'iyeen, also in the Eastern Region. Eastwards is the Arabian Gulf.

The Wilayat has 29 villages and towns, including the town of Qurayyat itself. These are Al Hajer, Al Wasta, Al Ma'ala, Al Jinan, AI Sahel Al Ainein, Killiat, Affa', Al Kerib, Al Ramla, Al Makhasrat, Al Shahbari, Dhofar Muhaisa, Hail Al Ghaf, Al Masfaa and the Municipalities of Daghmar, Mazar'ia Al Abraiyeen, Al Misfa'ah, Al Hiytan and Al Abayaa.

The village of Dhabbab (meaning fog or mist) and Suq lie to the east of the Wilayat. The western villages are Sawaqim, Al Falij, Qatnit, Al Samir, Makhada, Al Haboubia, Seeh Al Basra or Seeh Al Gharizia, Al Ramitha, Hayfadh (Al Atb), Al Aafia, Al Salil, Al Fayadh, Al Tareef, Siy'a Al Alouwia, Ballal, Wadi Al Harim, Araqi, Siy'a AlHadaria, Al Qabel, Mawal and Taba. The total population of all of these villages and their surrounds is 38,305.

The name Qurayyat is probably derived from Qurayyat, the plural of the word qariya or village. It was settled by a number of tribes before the advent of Islam and another set of tribes arrived after Islam, between the sixth and eighth centuries AH. The inhabitants of Qurayyat are distinguished by their retention of many ancient Omani customs and traditions and their pursuit of the crafts and trades of their forefathers inherited from past ages.

The Wilayat is characterized by its undulating landscape of coastal plain and mountain and by an extended coastline with abundant fishing. It is renowned for its cultivations for it has both fertile soil and plentiful water supply. Some of its villages are high in the mountains and virtually inaccessible except by plane.

The Wilayat has three strongholds, the most noteworthy of which is Qurayyat Fort, built some 200 years ago in the era of Al Sayed Hamad bin Said Al Bousaidi who was Wali at the time.

Al Sahel Fort is on the coast, in contrast to Qurayyat, which is inland. It was built under the Imam Naser bin Murshid Al Yarubi and was a base for the army commander in the reign of Seif bin Sultan Al Yarubi.

The third fort is Dagh, built during the Portuguese occupation and rebuilt under Sultan Taymour bin Faisal, who erected three other citadels in this Wilayat. The most notable of these is the Al Bourj Citadel adjacent to Qurayyat Fort. The others were Sirah on the Qurayyat coast and Kharmuwa in the village of Al Jinnin.

Qurayyat has a multitude of strongholds and fortifi-cations - a total of 20 citadels, seven forts and 12 round towers. It has even more mosques, some 149, in all, along with 52 aflaj.

Qurayyat is famous for a number of natural beauty spots frequented by both local and foreign visitors. Wadi Dhaiyqa is a favourite weekend destination, with its refreshing setting of rushing water and towering palms beside clean beaches. Bimma, Fanas and Dhabbab are the best known of the beaches. Finally Ras Al Shajar, with its tame animals, is another of the better known tourist spots in Qurayyat.

This province has a varied climate which supports a diversity of cultivation, and Qurayyat has dates palms of every variety known in the Sultanate. The village of Hail Al Ghaf is famous in its own right for its groves of mango which are said to be 200 years old. Some of these have a productivity of 14,000 fruit annually. Several varieties are grown, the commonest being Al Halqum, Bombay, Al Khokh and Al Kibd.

There are vast citrus groves, predominantly of the Omani variety of lemon celebrated for its quality and abundance, but also of quince, oranges and mandarins.

Other fruit trees visible throughout the province include guavas, papayas, mulberrie and lotus fruit - of both water and land varieties. These trees are abundant in the wadi and mountain areas. Common vegetable crops are tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cabbage and peppers. Field crops include clover, beans and plant fodder for the local herds of cows and sheep and goats and camels, gazelle and mountain goats; for here the inhabitants are greatly dependent on these herds to help them in raise their standard of living and increase their incomes by improving and expanding their herds. Crucial to this intent is the proper veterinary care of the animals which they achieve with the help of the Agricultural Developmental Centre and the veterinary clinics in the Wilayat of Qurayyat.