Sha'am |
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Sha’am, although in the past was a small fishermen village, now together with Jeer (another community) creates a rather big settlement. These two villages are the last places in Ras Al Khaimah before entering the Musandam Peninsula of Oman. Both settlements were created by the Shihuh tribe, which over time slowly moved down from the mountains plains and settled near the coast. Fishermen houses, including the ruins of some traditional ones, boats and a small harbour (charming but unfortunately heavily polluted by garbage) are the images you will see if driving along the coast. Once you enter the wadi, numerous settlements, terraced fields and amazing mountains views will unfold in front of you.
STONE VILLAGES IN WADI SHA’AM
Once you pass modern houses, which nicely occupy the middle part of this valley, soon you will notice that the wadi hides numerous stone built settlements with mostly abandoned houses. The villages in this area are preserved in a fairly good condition and house structures, water containers and farming terraces are clearly visible. These hamlets are remnants of how people lived in the past. Most definitely, the life in this harsh climate was not an easy one.
The houses here were built from irregular shaped rocks laid without mortar, although inside walls of some houses were plastered with mud. The roofs were constructed by placing palm fronds or other locally available wood on the walls and all was covered by loose gravel mixed with mud. Examples of houses with flat stone or wooden roofs can also be found. Most of the dwellings are rectangular and some of them were grouped together having an inner yard open for the family members. In the area, there are also many small constructions called yazds that served as storage houses for grain and other food. They were put up in a similar way as the houses, but smaller in size and usually located in less accessible places. Sometimes storage was also built into the ground, accessible through small doors.
These hamlets were always surrounded by extensive agricultural fields. The terraces were defined by stone walls that create a picture of steps going up the slope. The fields were used for cultivation of wheat and barley. The population was also involved in herding goats and sheep. Additionally, a unique product, mountain honey, was coming from the area and sometimes it is still collected by the local families. The scattered honey combs that lie around the villages are the best proof of that activity. When roaming around, you may also find equipment used in the past, including grinding holes, flat stones used for food preparation, shreds of storage pots or remains of ovens. Local people do not know exactly how old are the villages across Wadi Sha’am, but they assure that they must be more than 200 years old, since the ancestors of their grandparents also resided on the same lands.
Majority of the settlements were deserted in the middle of the 20th century. The exodus started when modern housing was offered to the community. The people were attracted by all the convenient amenities such as electricity, water supply and additional facilities, like schools and clinics. Nevertheless, you must never assume that anything in the villages is completely abandoned. Regardless of how crumbling the houses look; they always belong to someone and will be further passed on to the next generations. While some of the buildings show signs of being neglected, others are renovated and regularly visited by their owners.
The village, to which directions are given here, is easy to find and accessible with a normal car. This settlement was fairly large, clearly divided into old and newer parts. Some of the houses closer to the tarmac road were recently renovated and many have doors and pad locks, which are clear signs of being used. The houses further up, being much older, are largely collapsed, although their constructions and structures are still evident. This old part of the village is walled and has a number of gates. You should see more stone hamlets as you explore the wadi, although they often completely blend with the mountainside and may be difficult to spot at first.
Wadi Sha’am is also famous for having petroglyphs (rock engravings) on the mountain walls, most likely created by the first farmers in the area. An example of such pictures can be found near the above mentioned village. If you climb up from the village towards the visible on the right side terraced fields, and then continue further in the direction of modern houses, you should find an isolated large boulder at the foot of the mountains. One side of this rock has line drawings that represent men riding animals.
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LOCATION: around 30km north of Ras Al Khaimah. Head in the northern direction on Oman Rd towards Rams and further towards the Musandam Peninsula. After around 30km from Ras Al Khaimah centre you will arrive at Sha’am R/A. Turn right, and after 1km turn right again. There is a road sign that leads to Rumailah and Wadi Shams. Drive straight ahead on the first crossing (600m) and bear to the right when the road is joined by another road from the left (1.4km). At the very next Y-junction, turn right almost immediately going towards the mosque. Continue to drive in between houses and at the end of the road exit the village by taking the only possible turn to the right. 100m further, you will reach a crossing where you need to turn left. After 800m more, you arrive to yet another crossing and here you have to drive straight on the road that bends to the right. You should see some houses in front as you drive on. Go to the end of the tarmac road and then enter the gravel track, or leave your car there and walk for about 200m. The old stone village is just on the left side as you walk. GPS: Stone village – N26o01’ 23.41” E56o07’ 45.71” PERIOD: at least 19th – early 20th Century
Sheikh Mohammed Heritage Village Phone: 050 3732929, call to make an appointment
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