Travel Oman: Visit Al Hazm Castle in Rustaq

Oman Wednesday 06/November/2019 21:59 PM
By: Times News Service

Travel into the interiors of Oman and you are sure to find the land dotted with forts and castles, some of which are hundreds of years old. Al Hazm Castle in the heart of Rustaq is no exception. “Al Hazm Castle is one of the most magnificent castles in Oman,” according to a statement from Oman’s Ministry of Information. “It was built in 1708, towards the end of the reign of Al Yarubi tribe over Oman when they made Al Rustaq the capital. Located in Al Rustaq in Al Batinah Governorate, about 160 km away from Muscat, the designer of this castle was Imam Sultan bin Saif al Yarubi. Al Hazm Castle is a fortified structure and a palace in which the Imam lived." It is worth noting that Al Hazm Castle is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites along with Al Rustaq Fort.
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“Though the castle was designed primarily for defence and security purposes, it features delicate artistic architectural elements,” added the Ministry. The Ministry informed that the castle, which was renovated recently, is equipped with digital guides and detailed descriptions of the exhibit. The most important feature of the main building of the castle is its intricate Indian wood door. The castle also has a prison, mosque and a religious classroom. "There is also a falaj that runs underneath the castle and provides vital water to many date trees and other agricultural treasures in the area. Al Hazm Castle stands as a solid reminder of Oman’s proud history and enduring heritage,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Tourism added that the castle is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture as it does not contain any ceiling rafters. Instead, the roofs are held up by columns. "The width of each wall is no less than three metres, and this castle, with its fortified towers and cannon openings in the upper storeys, was built so that its various entrances were not located opposite each other," the statement noted. The fort is located in Wilayat Rustaq in the Batinah South Governorate.