Nizwa

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Nizwa Nizwā (نِزْوَى)
City
Nizwa in March 2008
Nizwa Location of Nizwa in Oman Show map of Oman Nizwa Nizwa (Middle East) Show map of Middle East Nizwa Nizwa (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia
Coordinates: 22°56′N 57°32′E / 22.933°N 57.533°E / 22.933; 57.533
Country	Oman
Region	Ad Dakhiliyah Region
Government
• Type	Absolute monarchy
• Sultan	Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
Area
• Metro	3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi)
Elevation	492 m (1,614 ft)
Population  (2008)
• Metro	120,000
Time zone	UTC+4 (Oman standard time)

Nizwa (Arabic: نِزْوَى, romanized: Nizwā) is the largest city in Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about 140 km (87 mi) (1.5 hour drive) from the Omani capital Muscat. The population is estimated at around 83,544 people.

Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman, and was once a center of trade, religion, education and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was formerly a center for Islamic learning. Nizwa acquired its importance because it has been an important meeting point at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior with Muscat and the lower reaches of Dhofar, thus serving as the link for a large part of the country. Today, Nizwa is a diverse prosperous place with numerous agricultural, historical and recreational aspects. Nizwa is a center for date growing and is the market place for the area.