Barka, Oman
Barka is a coastal city and Wilayah in the Al Batinah South Governorate in northern Oman. Bordered by the Sea of Oman and the Hajar Mountains in southern Batinah, Barka is about a half-hour drive from As-Seeb and roughly an hour's drive from Al-Khuwair and Ruwi.
History
Barka was destroyed in 865 CE. Mohammad Taqi Khan Shirazi led a military campaign in Oman in 1738, and unsuccessfully besieged Barka on 25 May.Construction on Barka Castle started under Saif bin Sultan and was completed during the reign of Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi.
Barka was seized by rebels at the outbreak of the Muscat rebellion, but were driven from the town by HMS Fox and HMS Dartmouth in 1914.
Demographics
Barka has a community of Indian merchants in the 1910s. A community of Al-Lawatia exist in Barka.Attractions
Nearby is Bait Na'aman, a four-towered fort of Imam Bil'arab bin Sultan of the 17th century, renovated in 1991.Economy
Al Bloushi, Al-Farsi, Al Zadjali, Al Habsi, Al Ajmi, Al Owaisi, Al Amri, Al Badri and Al Raisi tribes live here. The area is known for its agricultural beauty, fishing, and traditional pastimes like horse and camel racing, halwa making, and Omani-style bullfighting.A new quarter is now under construction in Sawadi, called the Blue City. The development is 8 km from Sawadi beach, and many international companies are involved in Barka development projects. There is an estimated $15 billion in new construction currently taking place here. Barka is the site of several power and water plants, including:
- The Barka 2 water and power plant, with generation capacity of 678 MW and desalination capacity of 26.4 million gallons of potable water per day.
- The Barka 3 gas turbine power plant, with generation capacity of 744 MW, sponsored by Engie, Yonden and Sojitz.
- A new 281,000 m³/d desalination plant is to be commissioned: Itochu, Degrémont and International Power were named preferred bidders in 2015.