Nizwa

Historians cannot agree on the origins of the name of the city. Some suggest the name was derived from the Arabic verb (Arabic: انزوا) which means being alone. Others say that the city was named after an old water spring.

Nizwa was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. With its deep connection to the root of Islam, Nizwa possesses a number of renowned mosques, such as Sultan Qaboos Jama (Friday mosque), So'al Mosque built in the 2nd century AH (9th century AD), Ash-Shawathinah Mosque in Uqr and Ash-Sharja Mosque. There are also Al-Ain Mosque, Ash-Sheikh Mosque and Shuraij Mosque in Tanuf built in 377 AH (around 1000 AD). A handwritten letter from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in 630 asked the locals of the mountain town of Nizwa to convert. The locals then sent a return delegation to Medina and embraced Islam. A tutor was sent by Muhammad to teach the new Muslims of Nizwa the fundamentals of the religion. The explorer Ibn Battuta visited in the 14th century, noting Nizwa as "a city at the foot of a mountain, enveloped by orchards and streams, and with fine bazaars and splendid clean mosques. …

Mountains surround Nizwa on every side and there is outstanding mountain scenery close by. Nizwa has an arid climate under the Köppen climate classification. In the winter from November until March the climate is pleasant, with temperatures as low as 12 degrees Celsius in January. In the summer, the climate is hot and dry with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius in July.

Historically, Nizwa was known for producing mats from straw. As of 1920, the city was described as having a "thriving" metalworking industry.