Old defensive buildings
Although Oman's defensive buildings were influenced by the Portuguese, who occupied the territory in the 16th century, and the Persians, they are above all marked by an undeniable Arab character. Most of the buildings date from the 17th century, the period of unification. Some, however, are very old, dating back to pre-Islamic times. They bear witness to the will of a strong and powerful state, and to the covetousness that the sultanate exercised for centuries. The result of numerous tribal wars, these buildings played a protective role. Their lines were rather sober and massive, but the interior decoration could be quite elaborate for the time, as evidenced by the beauty of the carved wooden doors or the elaborate stucco walls and ceilings of certain castles. These monuments, which represent one of the main sights of the sultanate, are currently the subject of a vast renovation and rehabilitation plan, respecting traditional building techniques and local materials (adobe, limestone, palm wood...). They fall into three categories: ramparts, watchtowers, forts and castles.
There are two types of ramparts or aswar(sur in the singular): the most elaborate were used to protect and surround cities, oases, forts and castles, and consisted of high crenellated walls pierced by massive wooden gates. Other, simpler enclosures were erected around a plain to shelter several families in the event of an enemy attack. They were generally surrounded by a moat, and the more sophisticated ones sometimes included a parapet walk. The finest of these, renovated over many years by Unesco and now open to visitors, is the 12 km-long Bahla fortress (near the town of Nizwa).
The watchtowers, or burjs, are generally located on natural promontories, and are the sentinels of the sultanate. Always linked to a network of other towers, forts and walls, they were used to watch over sea arrivals, protect trade routes and guard waterways and plantations. The very first towers of the sultanate were also used as landmarks to mark the boundaries of the various tribal territories.
Finally, there are over five hundred forts, qa'lah, and castles, hisn, scattered throughout the country. While the forts were exclusively designed for defensive and military use, the castles were dedicated to residential and administrative use; the latter nonetheless retained the basic characteristics of a fortress (thick walls, towers, battlements, parapet walk, minimal openings), even if their interiors were more ornate. They always included a water supply point, granaries and food stores, a mosque or prayer hall, prisons, a Koranic school complete with library, bedrooms and majlis (reception rooms). The most beautiful forts and castles in the sultanate are those of Jalali and Mirani in Muscat, and Nakl on its rocky peak. Nearby Al Rustaq impresses with its maze of staircases and underground passageways. The one in Nizwa is undoubtedly the best rehabilitated and the most interesting for the public. Its appearance bears witness to the influence of the Portuguese forts of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is circular in shape, with carved wooden portals and adobe walls. It houses a number of secrets, including safes and back doors. Its ochre color, characteristic of the region, is due to sarooj, a material made from clay bricks ground into a mortar. Nearby, don't miss the impressive Bhala citadel and Jabrin castle, with its superb ceilings and elaborate walls!
Ancient religious and civil architecture
Simple and uncluttered in architecture, mosques generally feature a minaret: a long, high tower, plain or ornate, from which, five times a day, the muezzin calls believers to prayer. On the whole, the sultanate has relatively few very old mosques. One of the prettiest is that of Nizwa, adjoining the fort, with its beautifully decorated dome, once blue, now ochre-yellow, standing out against the backdrop of a mountain panorama. The most curious is that of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali: the well-restored Jami al Hamoda mosque, built in the 11th century. This very low mosque features some 50 domes supported by a series of pillars.
The sultanate's great geographical variety has given rise to a rich diversity of architectural forms. As the sultanate was not modernized until 1970, it retains many more well-preserved examples of traditional architecture than its neighbors. The different types of dwellings in the Musandam governorate bear witness to this. This mountainous region has seen the development of two styles of house, the Baït Al Qefel and the Baït Al Arish, which are ingeniously designed to channel air currents, thus providing inhabitants with a natural cooling system, terribly effective against the extreme heat. The latter take their name fromarish, the palm used as a building material.
In the Jebel Akhdar mountain range, an ancestral village has been built on the edge of a cliff, and the ochre color of its houses blends seamlessly into the rock. The village has recently seen the opening of a guesthouse (The Suwgra Heritage Inn), allowing travellers to come and experience, for a night, the pleasures of this vernacular architecture.
In the Ad Dakhiliyah region, the village of Misfat Al Abryeen is another fine example of architecture in osmosis with the environment. In Al Hamra, travellers can discover mud and brick houses over four hundred years old. They are framed in palm wood and roofed using palm leaves. This construction method is still popular in the oases. By contrast, on the coast, walls could be made of coral or limestone.
The homes of Muscat's wealthy merchants demonstrate the influence of trade on architecture. Their elaborate doors are generally made of Indian teak, on which local craftsmen engraved script. The Bait Al Zubair (Al Zubair's house) was converted into a museum in 1998, where visitors can enjoy a collection of Omani artefacts. The building's surroundings recreate a traditional village, with its irrigation system: the falaj.
The falaj, an ancestral irrigation system
This is one of the particularities of the sultanate. They stretch for hundreds of kilometers all over the country (except for the desert), including in the steep mountainous areas. There are 3,000 irrigation systems of this type still in operation in Oman! The oldest construction still in use may date back to the fifth century AD, but recent archaeological discoveries prove that aflaj existed in Oman as far back as 2,500 BC, according to Unesco! The sultanate's entire aflaj network is on the World Heritage list. Once the water has been captured from a groundwater source at the end of a mountain range or wadi (valley), it is transported by underground galleries or small canals down a gentle slope to villages and plantations. The volume of water remains regular throughout the year, enabling agriculture to flourish and the population to live in austere areas. The bidar is appointed in each hamlet to ensure that the network functions properly and is distributed fairly. Thanks to progress, most aflaj are now regulated by automatic pumps.
Contemporary Islamic Architecture and Sustainable Urbanism
The economic development of the Sultanate of Oman began in 1970, with the arrival in power of Sultan Qaboos ibn Said, recognized as an enlightened sovereign. Like its neighbors, the country was growing richer, albeit to a lesser extent, thanks to hydrocarbons. The sultan's aim was to create a peaceful imaginary community - an arduous but necessary task in a territory still marked by clan conflicts. He opened up the country to tolerance, including religious tolerance, and created a welfare state, with health and pension systems. Omanis, both men and women, were well educated, the latter often more so than their male counterparts. The sultan opened the country to tourism, but with rules: respect for traditional architecture and no mass tourism. Heritage preservation is a priority.
Oman is also a stronghold of contemporary Islamic architecture. The shapes of new mosques, museums and other places of worship and culture are perfectly in keeping with the country's architectural heritage. The country boasts a large number of modern mosques, the most impressive of which is the Great Mosque of Sultan Qaboos in Muscat. Its elegant design blends traditional pointed arches with minimalist lines. Its magnificent decorations were inspired by those of the city of Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Its teak-framed prayer hall houses a ten-ton chandelier made of Swarovski crystal! This type of architecture is also found in Muscat's immense Opera House.
Other architects are keeping traditional forms alive. Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, designed by Franco-Moroccan Lotfi Sidirahal, is inspired by the citadels found throughout the country, and its pointed arches and moucharabiehs reflect the forms of contemporary Islamic architecture. Inside and out, the hotel blends in with both the landscape and the local heritage, without distorting either. At the Chedi, architect Jean Michel Gathy designed the lobby like a Bedouin tent, with its canvas ceiling and myriad colorful hanging lights. With its 38-metre-high dome, theAl Bustan Palace lobby is worthy of a sultan's palace or a grand mosque. The Kempinski 's huge, luminous lobby features graphic columns reminiscent of those in Muscat's royal palace.
For the past decade or so, the country has also been at the forefront of sustainable urban development projects. Although the Blue City project, a futuristic, energy-independent city, did not come to fruition, it did set a national trend. The Al Mouj project, a new, sustainable city, was launched north of Muscat. Omani resorts are also required to have ecological qualities, and are all approved before construction by the sultan himself.
