G9MR+PFH, Muscat, Oman
Bait Al Maqham Castle is located among plantations in the quaint suburb of the Wilayat Bawshar, near the main city of Muscat. Surprisingly, this magnificent residence, surrounded by beautiful views, is hidden near the last urban sand dunes.
As the oldest historical building in the area, Bait Al Maqham tells the story of Omani architecture, both civil and military in nature, which gives it functional, architectural, and artistic value. It is more than just a house; it was also built for defense, making it an ideal place to study the structure of ancient Omani fortifications and how this helped the community grow by providing security and protection.
The house was built for Sayyida Turaiyya bint Muhammad bin Azzan Al Busaidi, who lived there in the eighteenth century. It is also called the "big house" because it is one of the largest structures in the area.
Restoration work was carried out in 1991, and in 2010 another restoration was done after parts of the northwest tower collapsed due to heavy rain.
From an architectural point of view, the castle was built on an irregular site due to the building’s tilt in the southeast part, which led to an incorrect proportion of its four sides. It consists of three consecutive floors. The first floor consists of four irregularly shaped rooms that open through doorways into a central hall measuring 12.50 meters from the entrance to the southern wall, topped by a wooden ceiling supported by three pointed arches carrying six rectangular trusses.
The second floor consists of eastern and western arcades, each containing two rooms that open through doorways into an open central courtyard, which measures 12.40 meters from north to south. The third floor consists of one room in the southeast corner, and the roof is surrounded by a stone fence about one meter high, crowned with military battlements. In the northwest corner is the castle’s only tower, 16.35 meters high, while the main entrance to the castle is located in the middle of the northern facade and is one of the most well-known types of hollow entrances.
The Bait Al Maqham tower is located in the northwest corner of the building. It consists of four consecutive floors, which appear as three floors. The height of the tower from the floor to the point below the merlons above its top is about 16.30 meters, and the diameter of the circle is 10.73 meters. It was built from medium-sized stone blocks with the addition of lime and sand, while the exterior was covered with a layer of the material “Omani Sarooj,” leaving only the first floor without external coating.
The castle was built using small and medium-sized stone blocks in all parts of the building; the tower is located in the northwest, as well as the wall surrounding the fort. The Omani Sarooj material was also used in restoration work carried out by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture during the restoration.
Bait Al Maqham: The House Built for a Noble Lady
History is an important part of Oman as an Arab country, so great efforts are made across the country to preserve magnificent historical buildings that tell many stories of the past. These buildings are important not only for their unique design but also for the value they represent, including the opportunity for future generations to look back and be proud of their ancestors.
Bait Al Maqham Hotel is located among plantations in the quaint suburb of the Wilayat Bawshar, near the main city of Muscat. Surprisingly, this magnificent residence, surrounded by beautiful views, is hidden near the last urban sand dunes.
Although it is still considered a must-visit attraction, the area surrounding Bait Al Maqham is ideal for tourists, and Bait Al Maqham itself is one of the key landmarks telling the story of the magnificent growth of this Wilayat.
As the historically oldest in the area, Bait Al Maqham became an important support in the paths and methods of Omani architecture, mixed with a military character, which gave it functional, architectural, and artistic value at the time of its construction.
It is more than just a house; it was also built for defense, making it an ideal place to study the structure of ancient Omani fortifications and how this helped the community grow by providing security and protection.
The house was built for Sayyida Turaiyya bint Muhammad bin Azzan Al Busaidi, who lived there in the eighteenth century. It is called the "big house" because it is one of the largest architectural structures in the area where the castle was built.
In 1991, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate carried out a series of architectural restoration works on the castle as a rational step to preserve and protect cultural heritage sites from demolition and disappearance. In 2010, another restoration was carried out after parts of the northwest tower collapsed due to heavy rain that fell on it.
From an architectural point of view, the castle was built on an irregular space due to the tilt of the building in the southeast corner, which led to incorrect measurements of its four sides. It consists of three consecutive floors. The first floor consists of four irregularly shaped rooms that open through doorways into a central hall with a longitudinal area of 12.50 meters from the entrance to the southern wall, topped by a wooden ceiling supported by three pointed arches carrying six rectangular trusses.
The second floor consists of eastern and western arcades, each containing two rooms that open through doorways into an open central courtyard, which measures 12.40 meters from north to south. The third floor consists of one room in the southeast corner, and the roof is surrounded by a stone fence about one meter high, crowned with military battlements. In the northwest corner is the castle’s only tower, 16.35 meters high, while the main entrance to the castle is located in the middle of the northern facade and is one of the most well-known types of hollow entrances.
The Bait Al Maqham tower is located in the northwest corner of the building. It consists of four consecutive floors, which appear as three floors. The height of the tower from the floor to the point below the merlons above its top is about 16.30 meters, and the diameter of the circle is 10.73 meters. It was built from medium-sized stone blocks with the addition of lime and sand, while the rest of the castle was built using small and medium-sized stone blocks in all parts of the building; the tower is located in the northwest, as well as the wall surrounding the fort.
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