Asia

[Visited: August 2021]

After visiting Wahla Fort, we drive through a few more enclaves and visit a fort at Hatta which, surprisingly, belongs to Dubai. We explore the settlements of Wadi al Helo and Hossain, modern compounds tucked away in barren mountains in the dry interior of the UAE. Back in Fujairah, we drive straight into the old historic complex of the city. We park the car right at the foot of the fort, and I get out. The sun is at its apex, and scorching the earth. I climb to the entrance of the fortress, where I find several cannons ready to defend the late medieval fort. I have seen many forts in the UAE now, but this is the biggest of them all. Standing right at its base, looking up at the high walls, certainly makes me feel small. I walk to a nearby hill from where I have a good view over Fujairah Fort.
Back at the entrance, I walk in. Surprisingly, there is no admission fee to be paid: this is just open for anyone. The advantage of being her around midday is that I have the castle all to myself. Inside, I find a courtyard, around which several buildings are placed. There are circular watchtowers and a square one. Some of them can be climbed, others cannot. I see a room where dates were once processed. Another room which was used as a prison cell, and which in fact looks more like a dark dump. When I reach the top of one of the towers, I take the opportunity to look around. In the distance, a few kilometres away, I see the modern high-rise buildings and airport of what is now a bustling city. The centre of gravity of Fujairah has clearly shifted: the complex of which the fort is the main sight seems completely forgotten.
Seeing the fort so isolated is a strange sensation. Where it once marked the most important and most heavily defended part of Fujairah, it has lost all importance and is just here, a reminder of its own historic significance. There are a few explanatory signs here and there, but mostly, I need to use my own imagination to make sense of what I see. The fort has obviously been restored, with materials found in the vicinity: rocks, gravel, palm tree trunks and mangrove poles. The fort was heavily shelled by the British in 1925, which destroyed three towers and which caused its abandonment. The restoration was carried out in the 1990 and it was opened to visitors in 2000. This fort has played an important role in the resistance against colonial expansion. I find several stairs leading to doors that are locked. It is time to walk down, drink some water, and escape the merciless summer heat.

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Fujairah fort > United Arab Emirates > Asia

[Visited: August 2021]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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