We made a short stop in the sleepy coastal town of Al Musannah. We missed the morning little fish market, so we just wandered around the nearby fort. The fort probably dates back to the 16th century. It has a square ground plan with 2 round towers on opposite corners. It sits in the...
We made a short stop and walked around the enormous fort – the entrance alone with two cannons, signals its former importance. Built on top of pre-Islamic foundations, the massive outer walls date from the 18th century, while the inner keep is of much earlier vintage. The fort is...
We parked overnight next to the castle of Al Awabi, built around the year 1800. This tiny structure was used to guard the thoroughfare to the fertile Wadi Bani Kharus. The castle has a square ground plan with round towers diagonally opposite corners. The tower with the complete stone...
Nakhal Fort is one of the most magnificent forts in Oman (🎟️2 OMR), built in an oasis on the foundations of a pre-Islamic structure. Fort has been expanded and renovated by many of the rulers of Oman throughout history. The oldest record of improvement to the fort is during the time of...
Barka Castle dates back to the late 17th century (🎟️3 OMR). The first castle, Ya’arubi, was built to defend against Persian and Portuguese invaders. In 1748, the governor of Sohar, Ahmad Al Bu Said, a promoted merchant, enlarged and strengthened the castle. The newer and bigger...
Our next stop was a small but well-preserved castle built in the 19th century (🎟️3 OMR). With a furnished interior, good signage, and an accompanying booklet explaining the history of this sardine-producing town, this is one of the better fort museums in Oman. The fort is located in the...
Our last stop today was Sakākā, an oasis in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It lies on an old caravan route from the Mediterranean Sea coast to the central and southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Sakākā lies north of the desert of Al-Nafūd and northeast of the Al-Jawf oasis. Nowadays, it...
Jazan, formerly Al-Tihameh, is a town and port in southwestern Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea opposite the Farasān Islands. Defined by the 1934 Treaty of Al-Ṭāʾif as belonging to Saudi Arabia, Yemen has claimed the town since the 1960s. The surrounding area is well cultivated because of...
Around Al-Baha are many heritage villages, castles, and historical monuments. Al-Malad castle is located in a picturesque village in the Al-Sarat Mountains that lies three kilometers south of Baha city on the road to Baljurashi. Two brothers built Al-Malad for military observation...
Bakhrosh bin Allas al-Qurashi al-Zahrani (1757-1815) was a knight and military commander from the Zahran tribe in the Hijaz who fought alongside the first Saudi State against the Ottomans. In his times, he was called the Arab Tiger and was one of the wisest Wahhabi leaders. Arabs have...