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#traditional architecture

A traditional mud-brick village on a mountain slope in Oman with palm trees and green terraces.
Travel

Misfat Al Abriyeen: A practical guide to Oman's ancient mountain village

The village of Misfat Al Abriyeen clings to a mountainside above a green valley, its mud-brick homes and ancient falaj channels offering a glimpse of traditional Omani life.
Close-up of an old carved wooden door with geometric patterns in a historic Gulf neighbourhood
Culture

The Carved Doors of the Gulf: A Window into Architectural Heritage

Gulf cities are known for gleaming towers, but their historic districts hold quieter treasures: intricately carved wooden doors that once guarded homes and told stories of wealth, taste and welcome.
A traditional wind tower rising from a sand-coloured historic house in a Gulf heritage district.
Culture

The Wind Towers of the Gulf: A Timeless Cooling Tradition

Centuries before air conditioning, Gulf architects designed ingenious wind towers to cool homes naturally. Here is how they worked and where you can still see them today.