Oman's Taqah Castle Reopens After Restoration

Taqah Castle reopen its doors to visitors

Muscat: His Excellency Sheikh Tariq bin Khalid Al Hinai, Governor of Taqah, inaugurated Taqah Castle, after the completion of the restoration work that was carried out during the last period.

The castle will open its doors to visitors from today, Wednesday, July 12, 2023, from Sunday to Thursday, starting from 8 am until 6 pm, in addition to official holidays, according to specific hours.

The history of this historical castle, as some sources say, dates back to the 19th century, which served as a residence for Sheikh Ali bin Taman Al-Ma’ashani, and then it belonged to the state during the reign of Sultan Saeed bin Taimur bin Faisal Al Saeed.

The castle played a vital role as an administration center for the affairs of the state in the past, and this building was built in the Arab-Islamic style in terms of shape, design and decorations that were placed in this building. .

In 1992, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture restored and renovated it according to its architectural style, and it was officially opened in 1994. This fort is one of the most important landmarks in the Wilayat of Taqah, as it is visited annually by large numbers of tourists and those interested in history and heritage.

Taqah Castle embodies the nobility of the Omani man and his originality in preserving the Arab-Islamic architecture through the style and method of construction, and among the customs of the people of Taqah, especially on religious and national occasions, is to perform performances of descent and recite expressive poems and songs in front of the castle. .

This custom begins immediately after the Eid prayer, and the citizens visit the governor to congratulate him on the holiday through a habot wedding, interspersed with poems, folk dances, and some other visits until they reach the castle.

Many governors succeeded in this castle when its ownership devolved to the state in the first half of the last century, as it was a center for administration in the affairs of the state in the judiciary and resolving disputes, and supervising the tasks and functions that fall within the powers of the governor, and it was a permanent and official headquarters for these tasks until In 1970, when the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said took over the reins of power, a new headquarters for the governor, the local administration, and other government departments that sponsor various businesses and tasks in this state were established, and the castle became a landmark of the historical and archaeological monuments in the state.

The castle consists of two floors, the ground floor contains the gate of the castle in the western Al-Ji’ah, which leads to Al-Barza and then to the inner courtyard, and contains stores of food, dates, weapons stores, and a prison. Sablah” and a kitchen and resting places, and its walls were provided with mirrors, ventilation openings, and lighting

The sarooj material was used with the same old local building materials in the recent restoration work, with the addition of some palm trees, antiques, and special paint materials that were used to preserve the old architectural style of the castle.

The castle is located in a heritage and archaeological area in the center of Taqah, surrounded by unique houses, mosques, and archaeological and heritage places, and is easy to access and visit.

Oman’s Taqah Castle Reopens After Restoration

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