Sweet Nizwa with its fort and terracotta walls

Nizwa has long been the capital of Oman, as attested by its 17th-century fortress, which was also a Koranic school, a mosque and the sheikh's private residence, absolutely impregnable by virtue of its uninterrupted system of trapdoors and iron gates, while the splendid 38-metre-high circular tower now serves as a vertiginous vantage point over the palm plantations and the also lacy souk: the inhabitants of Nizwa are still skilled in the manufacture of earthenware, silver - their daggers called khanjar are famous -, the sale of spices and haggling over livestock. The original architecture of the market can be seen in certain vaults and arches: people come here to buy the tastiest and most varied dates in Oman, to taste halwa, the typical pudding-like dessert, prepared by families with a long pastry-making tradition, and served in dishes from which they draw using spoons made available to everyone in a structure with tall white columns.