The rich history of Oman makes it so unique and sets it aside from the other GCC countries. There are historical forts and castles all over the Sultanate. Most tourists would be pushed towards Nizwa Fort, as it’s situated in a souq and most popular. But there are many bigger, older and enchanting forts to visit. The following are forts and castles that are not as well known as Nizwa but I feel are definitely worth a visit.
Jabreen Castle
This castle is about 2 hours drive from Muscat, situated in Bahla in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. It is not one of the oldest but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful in Oman.
Jabreen castle was built in 1670 AD by Iman Bil Arab, when he moved his capital from Nizwa to Jabreen. Iman Bil Arabia is buried in a tomb inside the castle, which is accessable by the general public.
One of the highlights of this castle is the sun and moon room. The walls and ceiling are beautifully engraved with prayers from the Quran. All the different rooms and areas are clearly labelled and there is a lot of information about the castle on display. There are many date storerooms around the castle. Interesting and historical fact: The dates were boiled with water and then poured through holes in the top floor onto invaders and enemies trying to get into the castle!
Nakhal Fort
A simple straight forward 1 hour drive out of Muscat will bring you to the magnificent Nakhal Fort. It is situated on a hill above ground level and is surrounded by mountains and date palm farms. The word Nakhal means date palm. This fort was built in pre-Islamic times and has been resorted many times over the years. The layout of this fort makes it so magnificent. The ground floor has many rooms for you to visit but the top floor has the most spectacular views of its surroundings.In close proximity to the fort are Ain Al Thawarah spring and Wadi Al Abyadh.
Bahla Fort
Bahla fort is the biggest and the only UNESCO listed fort in Oman. For these reasons it’s well worth a visit. It’s 2 hours drive out of Muscat and situated at the foot of Jebel Akhdar and quite close to Jabreen Castle and Nizwa fort, so you could visit these sites at the same time. The fort dates back to the 12th century and underwent a restoration in 2012. It’s one of the few forts where some parts of the building are still in their original state, so you can see quite a contrast between the old and recently restorated constructure. You can spend a lot of time wandering around this large fort but it lacks direction, there isn’t much information or history given or on show, unlike Jabreen castle.
Al Sawadi Watchtower
Now technically this is not a fort or castle but it is definitely one of the most unique places to visit in Oman. A straight forward 1 hour drive from Muscat will take you to Al Sawadi beach. Located on a small island called Jebel Add, just off the coast is Al Sawadi Watchtower. This watchtower would have been originally erected to alert locals of potential invaders but now it’s used by people to enjoy a picnic on a deserted island.
When the tide is in you will need a boat to take you to the island ( plenty of fishermen earning money from offering this service). But if the tide is out you can just walk to the Island. My friend and I were taken to the island by boat and were the only people there on this particular day, the shore was covered in crabs which gave the place a very ‘Lord of the flies’ feel.
We walked up some steps to the watchtower and took in the spectacular views. Unfortunately the place is not taken care off and there’s litter everywhere, people have just left all their rubbish from the picnics on the island and given it a very unkempt look. Walking up the stairs was quite a scary experience to be honest and that is why not many people go up. It was dark and the stairs were covered in rubbish ( we had to use the torch from our phone to make our way up). I would definitely not have ventured into the watchtower had I been alone. Once we reached the top, the 360 degrees view of the ocean, land and beach was 100% worth the daunting walk up. Once we had a good look around and took plenty of photos it was time to head back. The tide had gone out and we were able to walk back to the shore. This is not a well known site but I could not recommend it more.
Fanja
Fanja is an old town/village with a lot of history, situated just on the outskirts of Muscat ( 30 minute drive away). It has a lot to offer – farms, a wadi, ruins mixed with old and new buildings. Walking around Fanja definitely gives you the feel of stepping back in time.
We walked through the village and then up towards the ruins of a fort and watchtower, from the top you have a beautiful view of date palm farms and wadis in the distance. Most the villagers have moved away from Fanja or built new houses but among the ruins there are still some families determined to stay put. It was absolutely fascinating to see signs of modern day life mixed with ancient structures. You will see lots of doorways, scattered across the area. There is no restoration program for this town, so please visit before the history and ancient ruins disappear due to modern development and natural weathering.
More……..
There are many other forts in the Sultanate that are worth a visit. Rustaq Fort and Al Hazm Castle are in close proximity to each other and can be visited together. Rustaq Fort is one of the biggest and oldest in Oman and Al Hazm castle is well known for its many corridors and rooms, making it a labyrinth.
Another intriguing castle is Samail Castle, I am calling it intriguing because it’s closed on weekends and public holidays and only opens for a few hours on the weekdays, so you would be very lucky to actually get inside and see it.
Practical information:
- Entrance fees for most of the forts and castles is 500 Baisa ($1.5).
- Always check opening times before travelling to any of the forts, most of them are open all day through out the week expect for Fridays, when they only open for a few hours.
- A regular saloon car will get you to all the forts mentioned above.
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This is fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing this.
You photos are beautiful and the way you write is inspiring. I look forward to the next short story from your passport.
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