Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Unlike the discreet modern cemeteries of Oman, where a simple, unmarked stone indic-
ates the head and feet of the buried corpse, the ancient tombs of Bat and Al-Ayn rise defi-
antly from the tops of the surrounding hills, as in a bid for immortality. Not much is
known about the tombs except that they were constructed between 2000 and 3000 BC,
during the Hafit and the Umm an Nar cultures.
Known as 'beehive tombs' (on account of their shape) these free-standing structures of
piled stones were designed to protect the remains of up to 200 people. There is barely a
hilltop without one, and because of the extent of the site, which lies on an ancient caravan
route, the whole area has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.
While Bat has the largest concentration of tombs, the best-preserved tombs are near Al-
Ayn. If you time your visit for an hour or so before sunset,
Jebel Misht
(Comb Mountain)
makes the most stunning backdrop for the highly atmospheric site.
To reach Bat, take the road signposted for Ad Dariz off Hwy 21 in Ibri and zero your
odometer. At 6.2km, look out for the
ruined village
of Al-Ghabbi on the left of the road.
After 16.2km, turn right for Bat and left at the small roundabout. Veer right to Al-Wahrah
at 17.7km through fertile Al-Hajar Wadi and at 31.6km turn left for Wadi al-Ayn on the
graded road that tends southeast through russet-coloured foothills. If you find yourself in
the village of Bat, you've missed the turning! It takes a while to recognise the tombs, but
once you've spotted one, you will see them on almost every hilltop either side of the
track.
If you continue to the end of the graded road (about 55km) you'll come to a T-junction.
A right turn here will take you back to Hwy 21. A left turn here takes you to Al-Ayn, be-
side the distinctive, triangular, tooth-edged Jebel Misht (one of the Oman 'Exotics' - a
limestone mass that is out of sequence with the surrounding geology). The tombs are ar-
ranged in a line along a low ridge on the flank of this mountain. A two-bay parking slot
opposite a mosque helps focus your eye in the right place; from here you can walk
through the foreground plantation and up the hillside into the unfenced site.
Further along the road, signs lead up a winding paved road to the beautiful
mountain vil-
lage
of Sint (Sant on some maps). With a 4WD and an off-road guide, there are some excit-
ing mountain drives in this area. There is no public transport.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ibri
25 / POP 116,400
