Nakhal Fort ( ar, قَلْعَة نَخَل, Qalʿat Nakhal) is a large

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Al Batinah Region Al-Bāţinah ( ar, ٱلْبَاطِنَة) was one of the regions ''( Mintaqat)'' of Oman. On 28 October 2011, Al-Batinah Region was split into Al Batinah North Governorate and Al Batinah South Governorate. The region occupied an important locat ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

. It is named after the ''

Wilayah A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes fr ...

'' of

Nakhal Nakhal ( ar, نَخَل) or Nakhl ( ar, نَخْل) is a wilayah in Al Batinah South Governorate in Oman. It is home to many old castles and forts, including the Nakhal Fort. Notable people * Abdullah Al Hilali Abdullah Al Hilali (born Jan ...

. The fort houses a museum, operated by the Ministry of Tourism, which has exhibits of historic guns, and the fort also hosts a weekly goat market.

History

The fort, also known as Husn Al Heem, was named after the state of Nakhal that exists above the old village of Nakhl. Imams of Wadi Bani Kharous and the Ya'arubah dynasty resided here in the past. Over the centuries, it underwent many renovations and improvements. It was reconstructed by Omani architects in the 17th century. Initially built as a protective measure for an area

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

and nearby trade routes, it passes through the regional capital of

Nizwa Nizwa ( ar, نِزْوَى, Nizwā) is the largest city in Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 72,000 people, including the two areas o ...

. The gateway and towers seen now were extensions built in 1834 attributed to imam Said bin Sultan. In 1990, it was fully renovated. In November 2003,

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

visited the restored fort during an official visit to Oman.

Overview

The fort is approximately to the west of

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

, the capital of Oman, at the entrance of Wilayt Nakhal in

Wadi Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...

Ar Raqeem. It is situated on a rocky prominence at the foot of

Jebel Nakhal Jabal, Jabel, Jebel or Jibal may refer to: People * Jabal (name), a male Arabic given name * Jabal (Bible), mentioned in the Hebrew Bible Places In Arabic, ''jabal'' or ''jebel'' (spelling variants of the same word) means 'mountain'. * Dzhebel ...

, a spur of the main Western Hajar range. It is to the northeast of Jabal Akhdar also called green mountain. Nakhal Fort is surrounded by orchards of palm trees. Its battlements provide a view of the Al-Batinah Region. The ancient Nakhal village is below the fort and close by is the warm springs of Ain A'Thawwarah. Nakhal Fort is one of several fortifications in the Al Batinah Region, the others being Al Hazim, Al-Sifalah, Rustaq, and Shinas forts. Built in the architectural style of the Sultanate of Oman, it is unique in that it was built to fit around an irregularly-shaped rock, with some rock exposures jutting out into the interiors. The fort houses a museum, operated by the Ministry of Tourism with exhibits of historic guns. A weekly Friday goat auction market takes place within the precincts of the fort. During recent renovations the fort has been fitted with traditional furniture, handicrafts and historic artifacts.

References

;Bibliography * * *

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Nakhal Fort Nakhal Forts in Oman Towers completed in 1834