The souq sits in the shadow of the fort walls, in a series of low-arched buildings restored in the 1990s in a sympathetic traditional style. It is divided into sections: the silver and copper souq where artisans still hammer khanjar daggers, coffee pots and incense burners by hand; the date market; the fish, fruit and vegetable market; and the meat hall.
This is one of the few Omani souqs where the silverwork is genuinely local rather than mostly imported from India and Iran. Look for the antique-looking but newly made khanjar with its distinctive J-curved blade — a Nizwa specialty. Fixed prices in some shops, gentle bargaining in others. The Friday morning livestock auction in the round pen on the souq's northern edge is unmissable.