Al Dhahirah Governorate: It is an Omani semi-desert plain that descends from the southern slopes of the Western Hajar Mountains in the direction of the Empty Quarter desert. And Al Wusta Governorate from the south. It is a beautiful area for desert tourism.
Al Dhahirah Governorate includes three wilayats: Ibri, Yanqul and Dhank. Ibri is considered the center of the governorate and is about 279 km away from Muscat. It is distinguished by its unique location that connects the Sultanate with other regions in the Arabian Peninsula, and then it was a crossing point for trade caravans since ancient times.
castles and forts
Al-Dhahirah Governorate is characterized by many forts and archaeological sites such as Ibri Castle, Al-Ghabi Castle, Al-Dreez Castle, Al-Aswad Castle – Al-Qaniyat, Yanqul Castle, Al-Sulaif Castle and many other places for visitors to enjoy. Come to see it and learn about the history of the charming archaeological sites, and enjoy spending a beautiful tourist trip.
Ibri Fort
Ibri Fort: Ibri is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Oman and Ibri Fort, where its construction dates back to 400 years ago. It is located in the city center near the old market of the wilayat. It is distinguished by historical and archaeological inscriptions. It consists of several mornings-gates- including the morning of “Sansilah” facing the entrance to the market and the morning of “the fort”. Which is the main entrance and Sabah Al-Wusta, which is used for Al-Barza.
There is also inside the fort a large mosque that was dedicated to performing Friday prayers and all other prayers. In the fort there are two wells close to it. A stable for horses is located, and it has two towers, the first on the north side overlooking the old market and the other on the south side. In addition, there is a quadruple castle in Ibri Fort, which is also distinguished by its large wall.
Al-Dreez Fort
Drees Fort: It is also one of the forts of the state of Ibri, as it is considered a major defensive fortification with two towers and several gates.
This fort (Al-Dreez Fort) is considered one of the Islamic heritage and monuments located in the Sultanate of Oman, specifically in Al-Dhahirah Governorate, where the history of this fort dates back to the eighteenth century AD.
Al-Ghabi Fort
Al-Ghabi Fort: Which is the archaeological “House of the Duck” and has several towers and is located in the state of Ibri.
Al-Sulaif Fort
It is located in the Wilayat of Ibri, which was built by Imam Sultan bin Saif Al-Yarubi. It consists of several buildings and houses and is surrounded by a wall with several high towers. A falaj passes below the castle, as well as a mosque and a water well.
Al Aswad Fort
Al Aswad Fort in Maqniyat This fortress is located in Dad Khasib on the eastern edge of one of the plains of the valley between the folds of the mountains. Its construction dates back to the year 972 AH. And it dominated the entire region, which is the Black Fort, which is located on a high rocky outcrop, along which palm groves are spread along its feet.
There is a well-marked winding road, fenced in some parts, that leads to the mastafa facing the arched entrance near the western tower. On the northeastern side of the mastaba, there is a vertical ramp that reaches the level of the low ground, which makes the road leading to the only entrance narrow and makes it difficult to attack. The front yard is rectangular in shape surrounded by a wall and includes buildings that are entered through an arched door in the southwest. As for the main fort, it is basically square in shape. Part of the southern walls and perhaps a fourth tower were built on the edge of the rocky facade. There are still three towers standing and most of the walls are built of stone. On which mud bricks were made, with the exception of the northeastern wall, which rises sharply and is built of boulders. As for the upper part of the walls, it is built of conical blocks placed vertically.
The approximate dimensions of the fort are that the length of the facade and the northwestern wall is 33 m, the western tower has a diameter of 6.5 m, and the northern tower, whose stone bases were painted, has a diameter of 8 m. As for the northeastern wall, which descends sharply to the eastern corner tower with a diameter of 7 m, its length is 25 m, and the length of the front space erected At a low level, 24 m long and 21 m wide.
Ynaql Fort
It is located in the Wilayat of Yanqul. The area of the fort is 6,000 square meters. Its construction dates back to different stages. As some accounts mention that it was built before Islam, but it is likely that it dates back to the eleventh century AH. Its architectural form can be considered trapezoidal. The length of one of its northern or southern facades is 108 meters, and the minimum width on its eastern facade is 75 meters. The main entrance to the fort is located in the western façade, and its wall is surrounded by a number of major architectural facilities that surround an edifice with an area of 1225 square meters.
Among the most important of these facilities: the mosque with an area of 143 square meters, the House of Oud, the House of the Orient, the House of Marah, the House of Basra, and the House of Guards. The wall of this fort was reinforced with six circular towers, and three towers of rectangular, square and oval shape. These towers vary in circumference and height, and the fort wall is supported by mud brick bricks resting on a stone base. Conical truncated bricks were used to build the wall of Yanqul Fort. A fort is supplied with water from the Falaj al-Ain and al-Muhaidith. The fort is one of the fortification settlements that spread in the states of Oman, such as Al-Sulaif Fort in Ibri.
Al-Ma’mur Fort
Al-Ma’mur Fort:
Al-Ma’moor Fortress is located in the Wilayat of Ibri in Al-Dhahirah Governorate, and its construction dates back nearly two hundred years (200 years). And the fort was built by Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali bin Rabi` al-Qatbi.
The fort has strong foundations. Al-Ma’moor Fortress was designed to be a defensive fort, and a seat for governance and administration of the affairs of the village and the region. There are also many forts in the Wilayat of Ibri that were designed to be defensive forts for the governorate and the villages of the state. Since it did not specify the date of its construction or in any year.
Al-Ma’mur Fort consists of three floors (3 floors), and the first floor contains several rooms used to store weapons that were used in wars, and there are also rooms for storing food and rooms for guards. As for the second floor, it contains a sabila (council) for consultations between the people of the region and the villages near the fort in matters pertaining to the people and the state. As for the third floor, it consists of several rooms, and it is a residence for the imam or the rulers. Inside the fort there is a hidden water well that is known only to the residents of the fort and cannot be seen from the outside. Inside it there is a small mosque in which they perform prayers. It has a rectangular tower, and a staircase that leads to a room on the roof. The fort is surrounded by a wall containing gears and openings from all directions for firing. The Ministry of Heritage and Culture restored Al-Ma’moor Fortress in 2002.