Nizwa Fort - Nizwa’s Architectural Showpiece
Nizwa Fort — one of Oman’s finest historical monuments and a major attraction for tourists.
Set amid a verdant spread of date palms Nizwa Fort is a powerful reminder of the town’s invincibility through turbulent periods in Oman’s long history. In times bygone, it was a formidable bastion against marauding forces that coveted Nizwa’s abundant natural wealth, and its strategic location at the crossroads of vital caravan routes.
A long line of imams of the Yaaruba dynasty held sway from its majestic ramparts, presiding over an era of great cultural, religious and educational enrichment. This splendid 17th century edifice — the largest on the Arabian Peninsula — stands today as a monument to this heady era in Nizwa’s and, indeed, Oman’s glorious history.
Built by Imam Sultan bin Saif al Yaarubi in 1668 AD, the fort’s design reflects the considerable advancement made in the field of military fortifications and mortar-based warfare during the Yaarubi era. The walls are rounded and robust, designed to withstand fierce barrages of mortar fire — a common feature of warfare in those times. The main bulk of the citadel took about 12 years to build, apparently with materials pillaged from other forts as the spoils of war. Some historians however aver that the fort came up on the remnants of an earlier castle built by Imam Assalt bin Malik al Kharusi in 845 AD. Others say it was built 12 years earlier.
Two cannons guard the entrance to the fort which opens into a veritable maze of rooms, high-ceiling halls, doorways, terraces, narrow staircases and corridors. The most striking feature of the fort is the central tower — a colossal circular tower soaring 115 feet above the rest of the fortification. Solidly built, the 150-feet-diameter structure radiates an aura of might, complete with battlements, turrets, secret shafts, false doors and wells. The design of the tower, resting on a 50-ft platform, incorporates a great deal of architectural deception. Access to the top is only by means of a narrow, meandering staircase barred by a heavy wooden door studded with metal spikes. A warren of staircases barred by similar heavy doors makes up an elaborate strategy to ensnare the enemy, or impede their progress to the top of the tower.
Those who did manage to run the gauntlet of hurdles risked being scalded by boiling oil or water that was poured through shafts (called machicolations), which opened directly above each set of doors. Date syrup, a liquid that oozed from bags of dates stored in special date cellars, also came in handy as an alternative to oil and water. According to historians, a great deal of ingenuity went into the design of the citadel. It was built above a subterranean stream that ensured a perennial supply of water when subjected to a prolonged siege. Several water wells located within the fortified compound also ensured plentiful supplies. Underground cellars stockpiled food and munitions.
Several cannon now remain on the tower’s summit, down from a total of 24, which once served as the fort’s main firepower. They provided complete 360-degree coverage of the countryside around, making it virtually impossible for a sneak attack on the fort without provoking an awesome riposte from its array of cannon. Cannon-balls recovered from the fort are displayed in a small enclosure on the summit. Some of these are believed to have been produced in Nizwa itself. In fact, one of them even has the name of Imam Sultan bin Saif engraved on it. Another, from Boston City, was said to have been presented to the first Omani ambassador to the United States in 1840.
The tower’s immense bulk and solid foundations were a formidable defence against even a savage enemy mortar attack — a factor that lent an aura of invincibility to the fort. Its design is therefore cited as a classic example of fort-building during the 1649-1679 period, an era that witnessed great advances in military technology, which began with the introduction of mortar-based warfare. Running all round the summit of the tower is a parapet wall for use by sentries who kept watch over the surrounding countryside. A total of 120 sentries, armed with muskets and flintlocks, could be summoned to man positions along this parapet wall in times of siege. Furthermore, 480 gun-ports allowed for a concentrated barrage of fire if the fort came under attack.
The fort was the administrative seat of authority in times of both peace and conflict. The presiding Imams and walis governed Nizwa from this citadel. In keeping with tradition, the Wali of Nizwa met until recently with residents of the wilayat on these imposing premises once every month. Meetings were held in the august Prayer Room on the first Monday of each month. Given its pivotal place in Nizwa’s history, this majestic edifice was among the first to be renovated by the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture as part of its far-reaching drive to preserve the Sultanate’s rich heritage.
Another splendid landmark nearby is the Nizwa souq, a bustling marketplace that was given a complete makeover by the local municipality, to complement the historic splendour of the fort. You can browse here for some of Nizwa’s famous silver jewellery or watch expert craftsmen in action as they fashion exquisite silverware or a range of other artefacts. Besides, there are weekly goat auctions here conducted beneath a canopy of date palm trees, much in parallel with traditional auctions that take place elsewhere in Oman, especially on the eve of Eid festivities.
Oman Observer, 5th October 2003
