The most beautiful military monuments Oman

Masterfully renovated, the citadel of Nizwa is one of the most impressive and interesting in the country. The foundations of the present building date from the mid-17th century, when the fort was built at the instigation of Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Ya'rubi. Its construction lasted about 12 years, from 1649 to 1661, and the building subsequently underwent regular renovations and alterations over the centuries. Protected by a rampart, the entire structure comprises both a castle and a fortified tower, arranged side by side around a wide courtyard. The former served as a residence and a place for administrative services. The second was purely defensive. It is likely that the castle was built long before the tower. Strategically located in the heart of the city, the citadel allowed the surveillance of the inland trade routes, as well as the oasis and springs of the nearby mountains.

It served as a residence for lawyers, as well as for students from all over the sultanate studying Islam in Nizwa. In addition to its inner courtyard, it had a multitude of outbuildings which we visit today and which have preserved their furniture and ancient objects: prisoners' and students' rooms, prayer and discussion rooms, but also library, Koranic school, rooms for storing dates, etc., all renovated and well-documented spaces where one can learn more about life in the heart of the Omani forts.

As a complement to the visit, the former prison now houses an interesting collection of objects from the past, commented and illustrated by numerous didactic texts. There, in the labyrinth formed by the old cells, traditional costumes and jewellery, coffee pots and household utensils, old keys and locks, pots and baskets, various weapons, etc. are on display. One room is devoted to the aflaj system, another to the dyeing of indigo, and yet another to the history of the Sultanate since the formation of the Arabian Peninsula and in the light of world development (comparative frieze). It's well done and you come out richer than you entered, especially since the scenography is pleasant and the screens add liveliness to the whole by broadcasting short documentary films on the different themes presented. After this amount of information, you might be tempted to take a tea or coffee break in the coffee shop in the courtyard; unless you are going to storm the rooftops of the fortress, to take a picture of the dome and minaret of the superb adjacent mosque: one of the most prized views of the local painters and a choice photo, in an ochre-brown monochrome against a backdrop of mountains. From the citadel tower, a superb panorama embraces to the north the Jebel Akhdar, to the south the mud houses of the old city, to the east the souk and the mosque, to the west the oasis of Nizwa fed by the falaj Daris, one of the longest in the country. On the way down, other superb photo opportunities are offered to us. Since 2019, the courtyard of the citadel hosts a living museum. Under the arcades or in the shade of large tents, Omanis in traditional costumes reproduce the trades of yesteryear. The seamstress sector is particularly attractive, as it is a rare opportunity to take pictures of women in their colourful clothes.

The Sultanate of Oman is renowned for its many forts, but the Sultanate of Nakhal stands out in particular. It is one of the largest and most beautiful in the country and, above all, one of the only ones built on an irregularly shaped rocky promontory. The foundations of the present building, like those of most Omani forts, are very old and date back to long before Islam. However, the foundations of the structure as it stands today date from three successive eras, during which the citadel was renovated and enlarged to its current surface area of 3,400 m²: the second half of the 17th century (a period of prosperity and relative calm under the powerful Ya'ariba dynasty, reigning from 1650 to 1744), 1834 and 1990.

Surrounded by a 30-metre-high wall and protected by six towers, the fort today forms a harmonious, well-appointed ensemble, evocative of past lifestyles. It has most of the characteristics of an Omani defensive building: its second entrance gate is surmounted by an opening through which guards poured hot oil on unwelcome visitors (remember to raise your head to observe this curiosity). There are two meeting rooms: one downstairs for the winter; the other upstairs for the summer, much cooler thanks to an ideal draught system during the hot season. They are decorated with painted beams (ornamental motifs and Koranic verses), chests and books, as in the past. The pieces of wood inserted in the wall were mainly used to hang weapons. The access doors were low, so that each visitor was obliged to bend down as a sign of humility and respect for the chief, the Wali. The fort also has two wells (one of which is on the roofs), two date storage rooms, two secret exits, a maze of rooms (including the Wali's private room with bed, chest, silver jewellery) and a multitude of stairs, as always.

The most courageous will be able, with precaution, to climb a makeshift ladder at the top of the east tower, from which a beautiful panorama of the palm grove and the foothills of the Hajar Mountains can be enjoyed. And gun enthusiasts will be pleased to find various weapons from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries on display in the middle tower. Also take the time to wander outside on the rooftops to appreciate the extent to which the fort follows the shape of the rock on which it was built and which dictated much of its architectural design.

Bahla Fort, which has undergone 24 years of renovation, is the country's most imposing fort. Its south, east and north-west facades measure 112.5 m, 114 m and 135 m respectively. Overlooking the village, the building is divided into several sections. The oldest and most monumental section, Al Qasaba, in the south-east corner, is a separate entity with its own entrance. It has 3 towers, the oldest gate in the citadel and 5 floors of multiple rooms, including a string of 3 majilis with very high, absolutely majestic ceilings. The rest of the space is taken up by a vast courtyard that serves several groups of buildings with their wells, prayer halls, towers, defensive walls, countless rooms and spaces formerly reserved for public service: Bait al-Jabal built in the ^18th century, Bait al-Hadeeth added in the ^mid-19th century and Bait al-Qaed.

Although it has benefited from a masterly renovation, the fort, a veritable Chambord of the Middle East, is now completely empty (no furniture, no carpets, no objects...) and has hardly any explanatory panels. However, this is not the end of the story, for the whole place is impressively gigantic, and it's a dizzying pleasure to get caught up in the maze of half-level platforms, staircases, courtyards, rooms of all sizes, shafts, niches, alcoves, and the entire arsenal of a traditional defensive building - parapet walk, watchtowers, ramparts, loopholes... not forgetting the multiple roofs as many perspectives on this major construction and the oasis that surrounds it.

The citadel owes its prosperity to the Banu Nabhan tribe, who dominated the central region of Oman and made Bahla their capital from the ^12th to the end of the ^15th century. From then on, they established relations with the other tribes of the interior. Bahla was notably the center of Ibadism (the state religion) on which the ancient Omani imamates were founded, and whose influence can be found throughout Arabia, Africa and beyond. Proudly standing in the heart of its oasis, surrounded by plantations irrigated by the falaj system, the building is an outstanding example of an oasis fortified place from the medieval Islamic period, and illustrates the skill of the early inhabitants in using water for agricultural and domestic purposes. With its rounded towers, crenellated parapets and imposing perimeter(over) wall, the citadel attests to the status and influence of the ruling elite who occupied it. The remains of mud-brick family housing estates with their traditional vernacular houses(harat) and associated mosques, audience halls(sabla), baths and the homes of the fort's guards(askari), evoke a pattern of human settlement linked to the location of the falaj.

The importance of the settlement is also highlighted, at close proximity, by the ancient Friday mosque and its richly decorated mihrab, and by the remains of the old half-covered market(souq), comprising a series of single-storey stalls opening onto narrow aisles, all enclosed behind an outer rampart. The souq's location facilitated surveillance from the fort on its rocky escarpment. The remains of carved and artistically incised wooden doors, shelves and window frames bear witness to a rich and prosperous craft tradition.

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 in the ^19th century as the residence of Sheikh Ali bin Timman Al Ma'ashani, this small fort surrounded by crenellations with triangular merlons, and featuring three square towers, gilds in the sun in its salmon-colored dress. Made of Taqah stone, limestone and coral, this is the southernmost publicly accessible Sultanian fortification in the country. In the 1930s, the fort began a peaceful career as an administrative headquarters under Sultan Taimur bin Faisal, housing the local "prefecture". This role came to an end in 1984. Restoration work was undertaken in 1992, and was all the more successful as the citadel had benefited from excellent maintenance.

From the terreplein in front of the entrance, note another more martial fort on the northern hilltop, 500 meters away, which is not open to visitors. Tip: climb up there a little later for the panoramic view over the palm grove. As we cross the threshold of the Taqah citadel, we discover, in a space much smaller than that of the country's other developed forts, a skilful spatialization around the courtyard, its palm tree and its badamier, then a sophisticated interlacing of staircases, passages and doors leading to several rooms... Furniture and fabrics have been replaced in each room, as if the wali still lived there, with his child in a curious mosquito-screened bed.

In one of the galleries, take the opportunity to learn about the exploits of French paleo-anthropologists, who discovered the remains of some surprising residents right here: monkeys. Yvonne Rebeyrol's account of these discoveries is provided by the Omani excavation management: "Six hundred teeth and a few bits of primate bone, several thousand teeth and also small fragments of bone from other mammals, the remains of turtles, crocodiles and sharks, thousands of limestone nummulite skeletons. Such is the 'harvest' of our fourth mission to the Sultanate of Oman, which took place from January 15 to February 15, 1992". The joy and pride of Herbert Thomas, palaeontologist (Collège de France), and Jack Roger, geologist (Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières) are a joy to behold. But the layman is both surprised and amazed when he is shown, carefully arranged in a transparent plastic box, tiny things 2 or 3 millimetres long, all of which are primate teeth found among kilos of fine sediment, and which remind us of the crucial role played by the Arab-African continent in the long history of this group.

Perfectly restored and maintained, the different rooms of this citadel are also equipped with many period objects and accessories. The audio guide in several languages, including French, alternates explanations and legends, facilitating and poetizing the wandering through the usual maze of rooms, corridors, courtyards and half levels. Built in 1711 by Imam Sultan bin Saif of the Ya'ariba dynasty, the 17-metre-high building, in which wood and limestone mingle, is a marvel of Islamic architectural art. It is distinguished by walls at least three metres thick, enormous gates dominated by openings from which guards could pour boiling date honey on potential invaders, and by an above-average number of secret passages and tunnels. The ground floor houses the prison: a round room with a central column around which the prisoners revolved endlessly in the dark. One then enters the storage room where the dates were left to ripen to recover their juice. On the first floor are the sultan's apartments, consisting of various lounges, rooms and bedrooms, including a bed built high up and equipped with a system for escaping in case of sudden danger. An underground tunnel runs along this suite, lit only by a few beams of light. The towers of the fort are beautifully carved, as are the ceilings of some rooms . Get your bearings with the audioguide.

A remnant of the past, the royal city occupies a large part of Old Muscat, the oldest historical district of the city along with Mutrah. It was from this original small fishing port that Muscat became the prosperous city it is today. The fortifications and defensive buildings, restored in 1979 at the request of Sultan Qaboos, date back to the 16th century, the time of the Portuguese presence in Muscat. Three gates (Bab al-Kabir, Bab al-Saghir and Bab al-Mathaib) line the city and delimit the oldest section. One quickly falls under the charm of this small district which seems like a neat village in the heart of the capital: renovated houses, flowery sidewalks, immaculate streets... an Eden on the edge of the Arabian Sea! We understand why some ministries still remain there, like the one of Finance with its golden door. All the sights being held in a rather restricted perimeter, one discovers the city on foot, and why not a second time in the evening when the clever lighting of the buildings and the mountains lends itself particularly to an aesthetic and peaceful stroll. On site, three monuments are not to be missed: the two forts Al-Mirani and Al-Jalali, and the Qasr al-Alam, one of the residences of His Majesty the late Sultan Qaboos, now owned by the new Sultan Haïtham ben Tariq. This last palace, quite astonishing and of loaded style, is preceded by a huge esplanade framed by long buildings with arcades. It cannot be visited, but its flamboyant exterior architecture allows one to imagine the sumptuousness of its interior spaces and decorations. Large gold and blue columns reach for the sky, surrounded by beautiful beds of orange and purple bougainvillea, and armfuls of roses, one variety of which bears the name of the former sultan. The three monuments stand on the seafront, between ochre-colored rocks. To get there, you have to pass through one of the gates (ideally the one of Baba al-Mathaib, the closest one) and go to the water's edge, at the level of the cornice where you can find: on the left, the harbor; on the right, the Al-Mirani fort and the palace; and, in front of it, even more on the right, the Al-Jalali fort. Proudly standing on small escarpments, the two citadels are not to be visited either. The first one now houses the royal guard, while the second one is used by the army. From the cornice, one can see the names of the ships that passed through Muscat and left their mark on the cliffs bordering the port. The oldest inscription dates from 1876.

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.

Direction the old souk, a shady square surrounded by arcades. This is where the villagers meet to play cards or chat. Superb photos in perspective, especially since some of the elders like to pose. Going a little deeper into the back of the souk, you come to a falaj and the ruins of the Al Khanajirah fort. The village is dominated by a hill where the remains of seven watchtowers still stand. One can climb up the hill by cutting through the old alleyways, where some beautiful carved wooden doors topped with Quranic inscriptions are nestled. From the top, the whole area and the sands of the Sharqiyah are dominated, making it one of the most coherent and photogenic urban ensembles in the region.

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 early 17th century by Saif bin Sultan Al Ya'rubi, a powerful ruler whose influence extended to Persia, India and East Africa, this fort was the main defence of the western coastal region. Refurbished in 1990, it has four towers, three of which are rectangular, and a round main tower that is slightly different from those of the other citadels in that it is less wide at the top than at the bottom. This architectural specificity was supposed to ensure a better resistance to cannon balls.

Oman's highest fort is surrounded by ramparts that once included no less than twelve towers. Built on the rock, its walls seem to be an integral part of the rock. It is an imposing building that has been carefully restored. It is surrounded by abundant nature and offers a beautiful view of the surrounding area, especially of the mountain foothills. It is said that it was once connected to the citadel of Al Hazm, some twenty kilometres away, by a tunnel. Entrance is possible through four different gates: Al-Ya'arubi, Al-Wasut, Al-Sharjah and the main gate. The structure is adjacent to a falaj that is over 130 years old. The first buildings of the complex were constructed in 1250 from Persian ruins. The fort was later enlarged over the years, and in 1650 it was remodelled by Nasir bin Murshid. It is a construction of impressive dimensions, where it is easy to get lost in the maze of rooms, doors, staircases and underground passages (many and dark). When you are lucky or unlucky to be there alone, you almost get scared in the string of such naked rooms! On the top floor is the tomb of the members of the family of the late Sultan Qaboos of the Al-Bu Said dynasty. Unlike the other forts, this one has no real interior design, and that's a pity: no explanatory panel, no furniture, no antique objects or accessories. But what a mass behind this jagged enclosure of more than 200 battlements!

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.

An important trading city on the route to India and the former capital of Oman, Sohar was an important port from antiquity until the 16th century. Today only its fort/museum bears witness to its past splendor. The citadel has the originality of being white, like all the big buildings of the city, but unlike all the Omani forts, of ochre color. It was probably built between the 13th and 14th centuries by Prince Baha al-Din Ayaz of Hormuz. The princes of Hormuz were no strangers to this region. The first to come to the sultanate was Mahamad Dram Ku, a direct descendant of the kings of Sabah, from the province of Arabia. During the excavations carried out in the fort, many valuable ceramic and porcelain objects were discovered, testifying to the fortune of its inhabitants. Restored, the defensive building now houses an interesting museum that traces the history of the region and the city of Sohar through writings and the display of ancient objects. The rooms to be visited occupy three floors, but it is also advisable to climb higher, to the roof of one of the towers from where one can overlook the sea and the palm grove that stretches as far as the eye can see. The chronicle tells that the garrison of 1,000 men who held the place surrendered without firing a single cannonball to the Portuguese invader Afonso de Albuquerque. On the spot, one can also admire the mausoleum of an emblematic character of Omani history, Sayyid Thuwaini bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman from 1856 to 1866.

Perched on its rocky spur, this panoramic look-out built in 1507 offers wide views of the Bay of Mutrah and the coastal districts on one side, the mountains and the inland districts on the other - a strategic position to spot invaders arriving by sea as well as by land. Unlike the other forts in the country, this one is not subject to any development, but consists of a succession of ramparts, watchtowers and external platforms that are valiantly reached by a flight of steps. Every good selfie has to be earned!

Well restored, the building has a defence tower more than 450 years old offering a beautiful panorama of the surroundings. The construction was done in several stages, which explains why the main door, carved from a single piece of wood, is only 350 years old. The various rooms, including the Arabic lounge, are decorated with carpets and oil lamps. The courtroom houses jewellery and old rifles. Among the successive imams, Ahmed bin Sad was the one who dared to plan a polygonal tower. With humor, we speak of cubist inspiration!

This imposing castle-like house was built in the 17th century by Imam Bil Arab bin Sultan and his brother Imam Saif bin Sultan. It was a kind of caravanserai, a place of passage and meeting for armies and travellers between Rustaq and Muscat. Restored in 1992, the house unfolds a succession of ornate rooms, much more than the average citadel, with antique furniture and accessories that give an idea of the way of life of the Omanis in the old days and their defence system. Interesting visit.

A fort in the desert, a solitary sentinel facing the immensity. A little imagination will help us to conceive of its eminent role in this outpost on the shores of the sea of sand, when it served as a shelter and a place of command under the Bani Nabhan of the 13th century. On these very ancient foundations, Al Hawari bin Malik (1406-1428) had high walls and a tower that does not protrude beyond the ensemble. Reconstructed several times and renovated at the end of the 20th century, this noble and simple fort offers above all the opportunity to climb up to its heights to embrace the dune landscape.