The Dakhliyah region, in the Interior of the Sultanate, plays a great historical role in the coming of Islam to Oman. At the heart of the region lies the wilayat of Nizwa, which was a sanctuary for scholars and jurists, and a stronghold for powerful leaders. Nizwa has been deemed the 'Pearl of Islam' due to its restoration of the Islamic beliefs to the country, its seats of Islamic learning and its schools of Islamic jurisprudence. From the adjacent wilayat of Sumail, Mazin bin Ghaduba, the Companion of the Prophet Mohammed, (Peace Be Upon Him) travelled to Mecca to embrace Islam. There are eight wilayats forming the Dakhliyah region. more information can be found here