This article was first published on our partner site, Independent Arabia
Before the internet, television and radio, myths and legends were our ancestors’ primary source of entertainment and escape. The most interesting of these folk tales are those that point to supernatural events, especially those about ghosts and spirits known as “genies”.
In Omani folklore, “jinn” are often associated with specific geographical locations. There are legends of a “genie valley” that people are afraid to enter and a “genie city” where mysterious creatures are said to live.
One such city full of gin stories is Bahla, located in the heart of the Oman desert, a hundred miles from the capital Muscat. One of the largest cities in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, the city is also among the oldest human settlements in the Gulf Sultanate.
supernatural beings
Bahla is a uniquely charming oasis surrounded by abandoned houses made of adobe bricks, surrounded by palm trees. But widespread legends about the existence of jinn, said to be supernatural beings who live alongside humans, distinct from humans and angels, and legends about camel-eating hyenas and spirits that turn people into donkeys, have led many Omanis to call Bahla the “city of devils”. jinn”. Thus, it became an isolated area rarely visited by local people.
UNESCO heritage site
Bahla Fort was classified as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1987, making it the first Omani landmark to be added to the list. The listed area covers the entire Bahla Oasis, including the Bahla Wall and all the architectural, archaeological and cultural landmarks and monuments it contains, both tangible and intangible. “Inside the medieval and World Heritage-listed Bahla Fort, we believe that the jinn are God’s creation, so they are not strange,” according to local tour guide Hamad Al Rabaani.
One of the popular legends surrounding Bahla is that supernatural forces built an eight-mile-long wall around it in a single night to protect the city from invaders. talk with Independent ArabiaThe 55-year-old tour guide added: “There is a legend of two sisters from the jinn. While one built the wall, the other created an ancient irrigation system for crops.”
The idea of jinn has a significant presence in Arab culture; But few places are as strongly associated with jinn as Bahla. The tour guide explains that an old woman heard someone milking her cow after midnight. But whenever he went to check, he couldn’t find anyone there. Hamad added: “Jinns can be heard but never seen, because your mind is not capable of grasping the idea.”
Fear of disrepute
As silence falls after the noon prayers in Bahla’s old market, some residents anxiously discuss the issue of gin, for which the town is famous, fearing how it will tarnish the town’s image. But Bahla resident Mohammed al-Hashimi, 70, says he has been fascinated by jinn-related beliefs for most of his life, and as a child he heard stories about fire-breathing hyenas roaming the desert in search. camels to swallow.
“They would warn us not to go out after sunset because of the spell,” he told AFP.
Deep in the Arabian Peninsula
Assistant Professor of History at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Ali Olomi explains: “Oral traditions and ancient texts show that genie stories were common in the most remote regions of the Arabian Peninsula. “Oman and its neighbor Yemen, located in the southernmost part of the peninsula, are known not only as ancient lands of significant historical importance, but also as the land of jinn.”
“Bahl contains stories of imaginary fires and conflagrations, shifting mystical desert storms, and buildings constructed by supernatural beings,” he adds.
The geographical isolation of this region, surrounded by the desert and the Hajar Mountains, contributed to the spread of these legends. Dr. Olomi notes: “The presence of jinn in places like Bahla is a valuable source of insight into the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. “These are stories of a people living in remote areas with little connection to other communities and a deep awareness of the natural world around them.”
growing doubt
Despite the many legends about the jinn in the oasis, a younger generation of Omanis remains unconvinced of their existence, including 24-year-old Mazen Al Khateri, who considers the legends “stories told by our ancestors in the past.” “We don’t know if it’s right or wrong,” he said.
However, 30-year-old Hasan believes that these rumors about the oasis are still valid. “My family would never let me go to Bahla. Rumors say that it is the city of the demons, where these creatures have more freedom.”
Bahla’s history
Bahla Oasis is located in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman. It is the ancient name given to the region extending from the south of the mountains in the west of Bahla to Izki. While Wadi Bahla borders the oasis to the west, mountains surround it from almost all sides. Streams flow into the valley, and its location has helped it become a bridge between neighboring regions, especially given its proximity to ancient cultural sites in Oman’s Ibri province.
Archaeological Sites
The oasis is notable for its proximity to numerous ancient archaeological sites, such as those located in Bisya on the coast of the Bahla Valley. The excavations carried out here revealed the existence of circular defensive structures made of stone. Salut, considered one of the most famous sites in Oman’s ancient history, is also nearby.
It is worth noting that during the excavations carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage of the Sultanate in Bahla Fortress in 1993 and 1997, important findings, including various settlements, were unearthed. A broken terracotta figurine of a horse-riding knight and an artifact made of steatite, bearing traces of the Sassanid dynasty period, were found. A large pottery jar used to store dates or collect honey, local pottery shards and Chinese porcelain were also discovered.
Reviewed by Tooba Ali and Celine Assaf