- Address: Khasab Coastal Road 02, Khasab, Oman
- Phone: +968 9335 0703
- Date of construction: XVII century
- Working time: daily; on Fridays from 8:00 to 11:00, on the remaining days from 9:00 to 16:00
Khasab is a fortress in the center of the city of Al-Khasab, built by the Dutch in the 17th century. Until recently, it was the tallest building in the city, later losing to the trade center. Tourists are attracted by a beautiful view, opening from the fortress windows to the Strait of Hormuz, and an ethnographic museum , considered one of the best in Oman .
A bit of history
The castle was built on the site of an Arab tower, erected much earlier. The very word "Khasab" is translated as "fertile", as the climate of this area is indeed very favorable for the cultivation of various agricultural crops. The city of Al-Khasab grew later around the fortress.
Since 1624, the fort belonged to the Omanis, who did not allow the Portuguese to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, next to which it is located. Khasab has been visiting visitors since 1990, after the fortress was seriously restored. Another was held in 2007.
Fortress architecture
Its architecture Khasab is not like the eastern fortresses: rather, it is a typical European medieval castle. However, this is not surprising, because it was built by the Dutch. The building of the fortress has 2 floors; The material used for its construction is raw brick.
A whole system of battlements surrounds it. At the corners are located defensive towers. In addition, there is also a central tower, quite massive.
The Museum
Today in the Khasab fortress there is a museum of the history of Musandam . One of the rooms of his collection is a collection of silverware, considered one of the best in the country. Other rooms are dedicated to the traditional way of life of local residents. Here you can see dioramas with views of local villages, depicting wedding ceremonies, etc. In the halls of the museum are also stored weapons, jewelry, household items, clothing and many historical documents.
In addition, the interior models of the Omani dwellings and the school in which the Quran was studied were restored. You can see the model of the traditional Omani house, the floor in which - for the sake of saving from the heat - is below the ground level. In the courtyard of the castle there is a collection of fishing wooden boats.
Market
Almost at the walls of the fortress there is a small market, in many shops you can buy a variety of souvenirs .
How to visit the fortress?
To get to Al-Khasaba from Muscat will most likely be an airplane: direct flights from the capital fly here daily, the flight lasts 1 hour 10 minutes. (for comparison, the road by car takes about 6 hours). From the airport to the fortress you can get there by car in 5-7 minutes.
You can get to Khasab on any day, only on Fridays, visitors' entrance is possible from 8:00 to 11:00, otherwise the doors of the fortress are open from 9:00 to 16:00. The ticket costs 500 USD (about 1.3 USD).