3/5 Mohammed A. 2 years ago on Google
Renovation
of
the
Bait
al-Numan
fortress
by
Imam
Ahmad
bin
Said
al-Busaidi
(1749-1783)
after
nearly
a
century
of
its
construction.
The
building
was
fortified
by
strengthening
the
walls
and
adding
two
defensive
towers
on
the
axis
of
a
diagonal
line,
which
provided
the
guards
with
the
ability
to
shoot
in
all
directions.
Thus,
the
stately
country
house,
which
was
originally
equipped
only
with
throwing
holes
and
barricades,
was
turned
into
a
fortified
castle.
The
building
consists
of
three
floors
and
has
a
slender
profile
due
to
its
height.
It
is
protected
by
a
wall
with
openings,
with
only
entrance
through
a
heavy
wooden
door.
Entry
into
the
fortress
passes
through
a
wooden
gate
carved
under
a
convex
arch
placed
in
an
open
rectangle
of
ornate
plaster.
A
spacious
hall
leads
to
five
rooms,
some
of
which
have
a
vaulted
ceiling.
The
rooms
on
the
ground
floor
receive
lighting
from
windows
located
at
the
top
of
the
walls.
Al
Balushi
says
that
the
fortress
passes
through
a
falaj
that
used
to
make
its
way
through
the
ground
floor
from
south
to
north,
passing
through
ablution
basins
and
washing
places.
The
ground
floor
of
the
fort
contained
the
necessary
equipment
and
services
for
the
daily
needs
of
the
fort's
residents,
as
well
as
places
for
preparing
food
and
household
chores.
There
were
also
stores
for
dates
and
extracting
honey
towards
jars
located
in
gaps
in
the
fort's
floor.
On
the
road
leading
to
the
first
floor,
there
is
a
mandus
estimated
to
be
about
a
hundred
years
old,
and
it
is
believed
that
it
was
used
to
store
luxurious
clothes,
weapons,
covers,
carpets
and
coins.
Speaking
about
the
fort,
Al
Balushi
explains:
The
reception
and
guest
rooms
called
the
“royal
galleries”
are
located
on
the
first
floor,
which
can
be
easily
accessed
by
a
high
and
narrow
staircase.
They
are
decorated
with
French
carpets
and
silk
pillows
and
a
restaurant
mandoos
with
intricate
forms
of
brass.
The
royal
corridors
reflect
the
appearances
of
the
fort.
Wealth
through
ceramics,
precious
and
rare
pieces
of
silver
jewelry,
these
treasures
are
currently
displayed
in
a
beautiful
museum
style.
In
the
fort
there
is
a
large
room
that
looks
like
a
main
council,
but
it
was
used
for
prayer.
Perhaps
the
presence
of
the
small
mihrab
in
this
room
is
the
best
proof
of
this,
as
the
prayer
hall
constitutes
an
important
architectural
element
in
the
Bait
al-Numan
fortress.
The
mihrab
points
towards
the
qiblah.
The
interior
design
of
the
fort
contains
small
projections.
Above
the
entrance,
impermeable
ways
to
mislead
the
invaders,
and
the
escape
routes
for
the
inhabitants
of
the
fortress.
In
the
imam’s
room
there
is
a
bunker
with
a
small
opening
in
the
ground
beneath
it,
a
dark
room
in
the
southeast
tower.
This
room
hides
a
safe
passage
towards
the
ground.
At
the
farthest
corner
of
the
fort’s
roof
towards
the
sea,
there
is
a
unique
building,
a
small
room
dedicated
to
rest
and
contemplation,
in
keeping
with
the
nature
of
the
rural
resort.
Ibrahim
bin
Sabeel
al-Balushi,
the
tour
guide
in
the
"Bait
al-Numan"
fortress,
says
that
the
Ministry
of
Tourism
has
worked
to
preserve
this
historical
landmark
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