HF2F+74P, Al Hazm, Oman
Al-Hazm Castle is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture in Oman and was built in 1711 AD. It is a huge fortress located on a plain just 15 minutes from Al Rustaq. Al-Hazm Castle is situated in the village of the same name in the southern Al Batinah governorate of Oman. It was built by Sultan bin Saif II between 1708 and 1710 with funds obtained from maritime trade and piracy. In 1711, Sultan bin Saif became imam and then moved the capital from Rustaq to Al-Hazm. When Sultan bin Saif died here in 1718, he was buried in a sealed tomb within the castle. He was succeeded by his 12-year-old son Saif bin Sultan II, which triggered a 12-year civil war.
The castle has a square layout with round towers diagonally positioned at opposite corners. Thanks to its galleries, arches, and underground passages, Al-Hazm is considered one of the most interesting sights in Oman. The fort’s roof is built on pillars and has no wooden supports. Its walls are over 3 meters thick in any part and can withstand cannon fire. It was built over the fast-flowing Falaj, which provided the inhabitants with fresh water. There was also a cistern in case the enemy cut off the Falaj. The large castle also housed several prisons, storage rooms for dates and rice, a kitchen, living quarters for the imam and his wives, and a madrasa. The castle had two underground tunnels, one of which is said to have led directly to the fort in Rustaq.
The next thing that draws attention after the impressive outer walls of the castle is its carved wooden gates, built in Surat and, according to legend, delivered to Al-Hazm on 13 horses. Sultan bin Saif and his son and successor Saif bin Sultan II are buried in the castle.
Two towers of the castle are located on its northwest and southeast sides. Each has two levels with seven loopholes; in total, the castle could be defended with 28 cannons. Today, the towers house an artillery museum, which contains cannons from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Oman, and India. Some of the weapons date back to the 15th–16th centuries; the rarest among them is a Portuguese-Indian cannon made of beech wood, discovered in Nizwa.
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