Beginnings of the Fort

A satellite image of the Nakhl fort (blue) and

the surrounding oasis, wadi, and mountains

The fort at Nakhl is located in Oman and has origins dating back to the pre-islamic era in the third century A.D. Built in the heart of the Omani Oasis town, the fort is in the Batinah region of Oman at the country's North-east coast near the Gulf o

f Oman in the Arabian Peninsula. Although the fort was originally constructed in the 3rd century during the reign of Sultan I Bin Saif, many additions and restorations have occurred in Subsequent years, the most notable being in the 10th and 17th centuries, as well as a restoration twenty years ago.

Nakhl Fort, Nakhl, Oman (Source)

The fort, measuring 130 meters by 54 meters has an awkward shape and construction as it is designed to respond to the unique shape of the rocky outcrop it is built on. This results in a split-level construction and the incorporation of six towers of varying heights that mimic the shape of the outcrop. Although this creates a labyrinthian plan at the fort's ou

ter limits, the fort still maintains the traditional courtyard as its center piece, as living quarters, markets, and other rooms are skewed to the edge of the interior. The fort's construction is also quite traditional, as sand and clay dug locally were mixed with water and chopped straw to build the fort. Clay naturally provides cohesion, sand acts as an inert filler, and the chopped straw allows the concoction to dry evenly. Palm tree trunks found within the oasis are used in the construction of the foundation to provide extra strength.

The wadi and oasis surrounding the fort (Source)

The fort, just North of the Jebel Akhdar mountain range is perched on top of a 60 meter outcrop, providing a 360 degree view of the surrounding oasis. The fort is located four kilometers away from the Al 'Thawara hot spring and is built adjacent to a wadi, or dried up river bed which was likely a flowing river at the time of the fort's original construction, explaining the presence of an oasis. Oase

s are relatively small areas of vegetation within desert regions and were historically used as trading posts in trade routes through desert areas. To make long trade journeys across the harsh desert possible, routes were constructed from oasis to oasis to ensure the survival of the traders and their caravans. Nakhl, not surprisingly, is located on various ancient trade routes, and saw much traffic going to and coming from China, India and Singapore, all the way across the arabian peninsula toward the me

diterranean sea.

A panoramic view of the site from Nakhl (Source)

The fort at Nakhl had a very privileged location. It was locat

ed near various sources of water and international trade routes, in an oasis with an abundance of resources, near the coast, and atop a hill, which gave a commanding view of the entire site and a strategic advantage in case of invasion. In such a climate, these characteristics are invaluable. The fort allowed for the protection of nearby resources. It could also function as a means to control the stock of the traders passing through the area, allow traders to meet and trade goods, implement taxes on the goods to generate profit, and control access to the region. The fort would also benefit the region by allowing the exportation of native resources to in turn bring in goods that couldn't be home-grown or produced. It had the ability to serve as a caravansary for traders to stop and rest overnight, replenish thei

r stocks of food and water, store their goods, and acquire and trade before continuing on their voyages. Overall, the Nakhl fort's most important responsibility was to protect the people and the resources of the region.

A view from Nakhl looking down at the oasis below (Source)

The location of Nakhl fed it's purpose and design, which in turn fed its existence. Since the site of Nakhl was so significant, it is completely understandable that the fort has existed in the same location for hundreds of years. today, the fort stands as merely a shadow of it's original glory. It is a tourist attraction; a reminder of Nakhl's ancient power.

-Suhaib Bhatti

Information Citations:

Gardner, Alison. "From Rubble to Restoration" (2009).

http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Oman-Forts-and-Castles.html

(accessed January 7 2010).

"Heritage Attractions" (2002). Available from: Omanet.

http://www.omanet.om/english/tourism/herit/forts.asp?cat=tour&subcat=herit1

(accessed January 7 2010).

Lawton, John. "Oman: The Forts" (2004). Available from: Saudi Aramco World.

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198303/oman-the.forts.htm

(accessed January 7 2010).

Melwami, Daisy. "The Frankincense Trail: Oman's Ancient Trade Route" (2001).

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?id=79274&nav=65

(accessed January 7 2010).

"Oman-History" (1999). Available from: Arabic German Consulting.

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/omanhis.htm

(accessed January 7 2010).

"Oman Information Center" (2006). Available from: Omaninfo.

http://www.omaninfo.com/oman/history.asp

(accessed January 5 2010).

"The Ancient Perfume Route" (2010). Available from: WysInfo DocuWebs.

http://www.wysinfo.com/Perfume/Perfume_route.htm

(accessed on January 7 2010).

"The Three Routes" (2007). Available from: Islamic Archaeology Glossary.

http://proteus.brown.edu/islamicarchaeologyglossary2007/4803

(accessed January 7 2010).

"Timeline-Oman" (2009). Available from: BBC News.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/2448259.stm

(accessed January 12 2010).

"Timeline Oman" (2009).

http://timelines.ws/countries/OMAN.HTML

(accessed January 12 2010).

"Trade" (2009). Available from: Penn Museum.

http://www.penn.museum/sites/iraq/?page_id=52

(accessed January 7 2010).

Image Sources:

"Nakhl" (image).

http://wolke7.birringer.at/~thomasg/Oman/forts.html

(accessed January 12 2010).

"Nakhl Fort" (image). Available from: Wikimedia.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakhl_Fort_04.jpg

(accessed January 12 2010).

"Oase Nakhl" (image). Available from: Frauschroeder.

http://www.frauschroeder.com/OMAN1.HTM

(accessed January 12 2010).

Vink, John. "Panorama View of Nakhl Countryside" (image).

http://www.edwebproject.org/oman-dubai/nakhal.html

(accessed January 12 2010).