Asia

[Visited: October 2008]

When I drove out of the valley south of Bahla and into the plains to the south of the Hajjar mountains in central Oman, it was easy to spot Jabrin Castle in the distance. An impressive fort rising out of the plains, with some rough rocky mountains in the background, waiting to be explored. After I parked my car in the full sun because there was no shade around, I walked around the restored fort before entering. Walking through the gate gave me access to the outer courtyard of Jabrin Castle which allowed for even better views of the castle itself.
Jabrin Castle was built around 1675 by Imam Bil-arab bin Sultan al -Yaarubi, and was intended as a summer residence for the sultan. Even though it looks like a serious military fort, it never served this purpose, and was used as a residence, and a centre of learning of Islamic law, medicine and astrology. Jabrin Castle itself is divided into two; both parts have an inner courtyard, and can be explored. Even though the castle is compact, it is surprising how many rooms, small niches, stairs and corners can be found.
Inside Jabrin Castle, you can find functional rooms like the kitchen, sitting rooms, burial chambers, and such. On the ground floor, dates were crushed into juice, which flowed through channels into special storage vats. Rooms in the castle have high ceilings, many of which are decorated with colourful and delightful paintings on Indian teak wood. The decorations consist of wooden motifs, as well as Quranic verses in Safavid style. Once on top of the roof, my climb through Jabrin Castle was rewarded with great views of the surrounding plains and mountains.

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Jabrin Castle > Oman > Asia

[Visited: October 2008]

Around the World in 80 Clicks