The Wilayat of A’Rustaq in the Governorate of South Al Batinah is famous for ancient mining areas and it houses some of the centuries-old copper smelters in areas like Al Hajir Bani Omar, Al Hoqain and other sites.

The Al Hajir Bani Omar site comprises large quantities of copper slag spread in many of the Wilayat’s mountains where furnaces were once used to smelt copper. The area also features a variety of sculptures carved on its mountain rocks.

The Sultanate was one of the earliest producers of copper items and it was known for copper mines that were active during the third millennium BC or the Bronze Age. 

Byproducts of the copper industry are prevalent in Oman mountains from the time the country, once known as the Land of Majan, was engaged in trade exchange with Sumer.

Besides A’Rustaq, relics indicating copper smelters were found in many other wilayats of the Sultanate like Sohar, Yanqul, Al Mudhaibi, Shinas and Liwa.