Monuments to visit Turtle Coast

Sur and Al Ayjah are separated by the maritime canal that feeds the waters of the lagoon. For centuries, dhows have been coming in and out, sailors have been embarking, workers have been carving the horseshoe sterns. In order to cross, one needed a boat or to go around the bottom of the lagoon, which is about ten kilometres long. But the State, which in Oman you have noticed does not count for road infrastructure works, decided in 2010 to offer Sur the first suspension bridge in the country. To approach Ayjah, walkers are advised, if the weather is suitable, to leave the vehicle on the Sur side and cross, on foot, this magnificent 204-metre long structure. After investigation, its architects are, unsurprisingly, the Germans of Schlaich-Bergermann, world leaders in suspended span structures, authors notably of numerous stadiums for the football world cup in South Africa, but also of the Mont Saint-Michel pedestrian footbridge project. At the end of the bridge, go to the left to quickly reach the small whitewashed fort located in the centre of the village (Al Hamooda Fort, open from Sunday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm, entrance 500 bz). Then, we recommend a stroll in freedom and according to your desires, passing by the banks of the lagoon and going up to the lighthouse for a superb view of the unbelievably coloured waters. The calm and old-fashioned atmosphere of the village contrasts with the liveliness and the overall style of the town of Sur just opposite, which is the interest of the place.

But why this long-isolated, bearded town? And why this very different architectural development? Historians tell us that Al Ayjah, like Al Ashkhara a little further south, is a Wahhabi land, which is extremely rare in Oman. Thus, in 1928, the rebel sheikhs of Beni Bu Ali established an independent customs post here and raised a flag to mark their sovereignty. They adopted the rule of Wahhabi Sunnism in the Saudi style, as did the Qataris a little later in the Gulf. The affair, of course, was not to the liking of the Sultan, who asked the British for help in bringing the restless into line - an arm wrestling that lasted 24 months. The revolutionaries are a distant memory, but religious rigorism is still present in this specific part of the city, which explains the systematic presence of the facial veil among women. Therefore, ladies, please do not visit the city in Ibizan dress.

Built on an elevation overlooking the entire Bay of Sur, this fortified castle was built 350 years ago during the reign of Nasir bin Murshid Al Ya'rubi, the iman who drove the Portuguese out of the area in 1648. The architecture is simple: a square flanked by four towers. One can observe the old foundations left uncovered as well as the entrance door made of sidr wood, the jujube tree that provides the thorns of the Holy Crown. The visit is fairly quick, but it is worth the trip for the view from the parapet walk.

On a hillock stand the remains of the mausoleum of Bibi Maryam, a holy woman. These are the best preserved of the ancient medieval port of Qalhat. Inside the mausoleum are four niches that were originally framed with rich Qashani earthenware tiles imported from Persia. It was also to include a mosque, described by the explorer Ibn Battuta as "very beautiful". According to the legend, only this monument resisted the earthquake that razed the city to the ground. The site became a place of pilgrimage before being classified by Unesco and closed to the public.

At the eastern end of the Sultanate, Cape Town Fort is a balcony to the world. In the 11th and 12th centuries, we were there in one of the most important maritime and commercial squares of the coast as Sohar was slipping into decadence and Qalhat had not yet taken over. Built in the 16th century and restored in 1989, the citadel has three imposing towers, including the western one named after Sindbad, the legendary sailor. The interior of the fort is empty, but from the main tower, the view of the city, the sea and the lagoons is very beautiful.

The fort was built inland, probably in the very early nineteenth century under Sayyid Said Bin Sultan, to provide protection against attacks from inland tribes. It consists of a vast inner courtyard, flanked by four massive towers, one of which is topped by an unusually slender tower, slender as a chimney. A whole small neighbourhood has been built up in the vicinity, which adds to the interest of the visit, if you find the door open. The complex housed the wali's administration until 1976.

Built in the 19th century to defend the city of Qurayyat and guarded by two old Portuguese made cannons, the fort stands next to the souk, along the main road that runs through the city. Recently restored, it is typical of the defensive structures along the coast of Oman, with high crenellated walls and a round watchtower. Kitchen, living rooms, objects, everything is in its place, and allows us to imagine the life of the inhabitants of the past. Notice the beauty of the front door or the containers coming from China, and the "made in Zanzibar" chest.