Things to see and do Sur

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.

Even though Sur now only produces one or two dhows a year, Indian workers here repair the famous boats that have made the reputation and prosperity of the city since the first millennium BC. The two most popular models at that time were the baggala and the ghanja. Today, the tradition continues in the rules of art, and the ghanjas, smaller sailing boats, are still built according to ancestral methods, caulking being done with shark fat and plaster. Electrical instruments are used to cut the dhows, which six workers manage to complete in 5 months at an average cost of 40,000 OMR. The shipyards also produce Sharks, slender wooden boats that can be rowed like skiffs or outriggers. Specific to Sur, these boats are used every year in February, on Special Day, for extremely popular races. If you continue along the road along the lagoon, you will see a magnificent example of a dhow built in Sur more than seventy years ago, which has now emerged from the water and is erected on the ground like a statue or rather a museum witness of the past: the Fatah al-Khair. If it is not possible to get on board to visit the interior, it is interesting to approach the sides of the boat to observe the finishing touches. Traditionally, ships were made by hand, without nails, and hand-woven ropes were used to strengthen the joints.

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.

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.

It is the local "croisette" where you can stroll in the mild hours if you sleep on the spot. The place runs along the beach and comes alive especially at the end of the day, when the football players take the sand by storm and the fishermen come to sell their catches. The cornice is then enlivened by a beautiful effervescence, very local and essentially masculine. At high tide, as you approach the port, you can watch the ballet of fishing boats and dhows coming in and out. Little advice to these ladies: as always, wear covering clothes.

In calm weather, this wild and secluded beach is a great spot for both swimming and camping. Embedded between two cliffs, the clear sand is bordered by an emerald sea with translucent water, which make up an idyllic landscape for a few hours of idleness away from the city or an overnight stay in the open air during a road trip to or from Ras al-Jinz for example. In windy weather, a swell forms and the bay becomes capricious - avoid swimming. Access is easy from Sur if you always follow the road closest to the sea.