Just 1 hour away from Muscat lies a hidden gem- a 300 years old Omani village in the outskirts of Imti. There are two neighbourhoods of the old village, one is Al Suwad and the other one is Al Ain. The Al-Ain section of the village has the main entrance to both the neighbourhoods and lies in between the Imti School and Imti Dam. 

As soon as you enter this village, you are welcomed by the cool breeze from the trees and the burbling sound of the water flowing from the falaj inside the village. The houses in this village, made from natural materials like stones, mud, hay, palm leaves and wood transport you back in time.

People in this ancient village had truly mastered the use of locally available materials to build houses. From far away these villages, just look like part of the nature, making it almost invisible to the human eyes. The watch towers on top of the mountains which offer a 360 degree view of the place stand as reminders of times when the village was heavily guarded.

Today, both the neighbourhoods of the village have been adopted by Ms Maryam Al Zadjali who is the Chairman of Omani Society for Fine Arts. The Al Ain section was recently restored under her leadership. She organized variety of charity events to raise funds for the restoration of this village. The restoration work was done using the same raw materials which were used by the ancient villagers. Also, the village is decorated using traditional Omani potteries, lanterns, fabrics, and paintings. 

Various Omani artists came together and drew inspiration from the village to make paintings inside the village. The artists have uplifted the soul of this village with their paintings on the walls, dustbins, and electric posts. This village not only teaches about sustainable living but also that people join hands together for a good cause then they can create magic.