OMAN: Report on Towers of Ja'alan Bani Bu Hassan

20 August 2016

The towers of the Wilayat of Ja'alan Bani Bu Hassan in the Governorate of South A'Sharqiyah are among the oldest urban and historic monuments in the wilaya. They are twelve in number and spread throughout the wilaya.

   The towers were built with stones and a mixture of clay that give the wall hardness, durability and a color that is very similar to that of the ground. The towers are built over the mountains and rocks to show the versatility of the Omani man, as they are characterized by a unique and harmonious architectural features.

   Those towers have tales and old history with grandparents in the history of Oman. They were built for a clear goal as a result of certain old conditions that made the development of defensive fortifications essential for the protection of the wilayats of the Sultanate of Oman against the upcoming hazards. The historical monuments vary in the Wilayat of Ja'alan Bani Bu Hassan, which is bordered to the south the Wilayat of Ja'alan Bani Bu Ali and from the north the Wilayat of Al Kamil wa Al Wafi, and to the west the Wilayat of Bidiya in the Governorate of North A'Sharqiyah.

   Among the most important castles in the wilaya are the Castles of Awlad Murshid and Al Fulaij, the Fort of Bani Bu Hassan and Al Mahyoul Fort, forty old mosques and many of the towers, most importantly Al Sufrah Tower, which is one of the oldest historical towers in Ja'alan and the most famous one.

   Al Muraibi Tower is one of the towers that exist in Ja'alan. It is located in the town of Al Muraibi, to the west of the old Ja'alan, built by locals in the fifties of the last century for the purpose of protection and control of the borders of the wilaya from the west. It is now located in the middle of vast of agricultural land.

   Al Shams Tower is now located in the centre of the wilaya, to the east of the town of Al Ghanaimiyah. It parallels with the eastern wall of the wilaya. It was built by the locals hundreds of years ago for the purpose of monitoring and protecting the wilaya from the eastern side.