Nizwa Goat Market - Oman's most famous livestock souq

The Omanis are a very reserved people - calm, unhurried and, above all else, impeccably polite. One of the few places you might see them deviate from their culture of peaceful hospitality is Nizwa Goat Market.

Nizwa is one of Oman's ancient cities and a firm fixture on the tourist trail from the modern day capital of Muscat. Visiting the Friday goat market is high on the list of cultural experiences here.

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A brown and white goat is plated down on a shingle floor in the goat market. It is tied to a railing

A word of warning to anyone who might be upset by rough animal handling: this is not the place for you. The animals are being traded for breeding or for slaughter, they are not treated lightly.

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Visiting the market as a spectator

The market is one the edge of the Nizwa Souq complex which you must browse or shop for souvenirs once goat trading tails off.

The local men who come to trade - you might also see a few Omani women in the crowd - are used to seeing tourists mixed in with the serious buyers. But the main purpose of the market is for locals to buy and sell. It is not put on for visitors.

The market happens as it would have for centuries, albeit in a relatively modern corrugated iron and concrete open-sided shed.

If you are there to take photos it is essential to ask people's permission if you wish to take close up shots of them. However, wide shots are fine.

We have been at the market while drone footage and photos have been captured by an Omani film crew. No permission was sought from individuals, including us.

The market begins early in the morning

Taking place every Friday throughout the year, the timings of the goat market are dictated by the sunrise. The earlier the sun rises and the hotter it is, the earlier the market starts.

Most International visitors come over the winter, which is when we have visited on two occasions, so the timings below are tried and tested.

A couple of Omanis sit in the middle of the goat market waiting for it to begin

This was the scene at 6.45am in December before trading began. Sellers have brought their livestock into the market and tied them to the railings outside the parade ring.

The scene before the goat market has begun. Buyers and observers gather around the parade ring while my family watches on from the roof on the outer edge of the market

And this is 7.15am in February, again before trading has begun, but people are gathering.

The market usually gets underway as the sun creeps up over the neighbouring mountains.

We arrived before this to find a space to stand in the middle of the ring that the goats and owners parade around. There's also concrete benches to perch on.

If you are as adventurous as the local children, you can climb up onto the tiered concrete roof on the outer edge of the market. Like most places in Oman, health and safety isn't rigourous, so you do so at your own risk.

The buzz of anticipation grows as the time for trading approaches.

White goat in the middle of the goat market

You know this is getting close when a senior Omani ties a goat to a post in the centre of the inner ring. He then calls out in Arabic and trading begins.

When we visited the market in February, the goat parade began at 7.20am.

At this point all usual Omani social etiquette of giving each other space fell by the wayside as buyers jostled to get the best viewing position.

How it works

Things are pretty tame to begin with. Kid goats are carried around the ring for people to see.

A seller walks around the market ring with a single kid goat in his arms

And then comes a surge or larger animals, leashed with rope or string.

The goat market has begun. Sellers parade around the ring with goats on string leads. People watch on from the outside of the ring and the roof on the outer edge of the market

Prospective buyers shout for a closer look at the animals, often feeling their stomachs and pulling back their lips to look at their teeth.

One of the most common calls we picked out from the mayhem was ‘khamsūn’ which is means 50 - the price in Oman Rials for the goat being paraded.

Money isn't exchanged in the ring. Deals are closed around the edge, often with a cup of Karak Tea or Omani coffee, Kahwa.

There were plenty of deals still being done when we squeezed out to go for breakfast at 7.50am. By 9am most people and their new purchases were in the car park or had left.

Handy things to know about Nizwa goat market

A brown and white goat tied to a railing with string

It takes place in an open sided shed beside Nizwa Souq every Friday.
Traders and buyers start to gather from 6am. Aim to arrive no later than 7am for a view from the centre of the show ring.
Dress conservatively and more so than you might in Muscat where covering knees and shoulders is the norm. Women in particular will notice unwelcome looks if they are not wearing long, loose clothing in this male dominated space. Friday is also the holy day for Muslims so they tend to dress more modestly on this day.
For practical reasons - you are at an animal market after all - wear closed-toe shoes.
Make sure you bring along a few hundred Baiza to buy your own Karak Tea. It's a bit like Chai but no two cups are ever the same. Everyone uses their own recipe.
The goat market and Nizwa Souq are located right beside a dry wadi (a river bed). In fact, the main carpark is in the path of the wadi. When it rains, the wadi floods. There are warning alarms in Nizwa. If a warning comes, seek higher ground and never attempt to cross a flowing wadi.

Nizwa Goat Market location

The market is on the edge of the Souq complex, helpfully labeled as a 'sheep market' on Google maps. All kinds of cattle are sold here but goats are by far the most common goods.

Final thoughts on Nizwa Goat Market

For a taste of traditional Oman, a visit to the goat market in Nizwa is a must. In fact starting the day early here allows you to explore the city's cultural sights, like the rest of the souq and Nizwa Fort, before the heat of the day kicks in.

If you leave the market at about 8am and walk towards the pottery and crafts section of the souq you might also see a traditional sword dance performed.