Sur Al Uwayd Fort

Sur Al Uwayd Fort lies in the village of Al 'Uwayd in the Al Batinah South Governorate in Oman.

I know absolutely nothing about the history of Sur Al Uwayd Fort. If you know anything, please mail me.

The fort is one of the many aswar (plural of sur) on the Al Batinah coastal plain. A sur was a simple communal fortification. They were built, maintained and used as a place of refuge by the local tribe in times of danger. They mostly have a similar ground plan; a square with 2 round towers on diagonally opposite corners and a rectangular gate building, quite regularly in the northern wall. Some were also protected by a dry moat or an outer wall.

Little remains of this sur but ruins of 2 of its corner towers. Of the southern tower only the mudbrick core remains. The northern tower has survived up unto its original height but has been halved vertically. So now it shows a nice cross-section of its construction. The fort is situated only some 50 meters from the sea, which is probably the cause why so little of it is left.

Sur Al Uwayd Fort is freely accessible. Less than 3 km's to the east is another similar fort; Sur Al Hadadibeh. I like the location next to the beach.

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