Fort Fujairah is the oldest and largest fort in the United Arab Emirates.

Fort Fujairah is located between the Arabian Sea and the Hajar Mountains in the city of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The fort was constructed between the years of 1500 and 1550 and was renovated between 1650 and 1700 which makes the fort a good place to for visitors to get a glimpse into the history and heritage of the UAE.

Fort Fujairah primarily served as a strategic defense structure but it also served as a residence for the ruling Al Sharqi dynasty. It contains places for residences, a mosque and a central hall that is protected with the four towers. The fort sits on top of a hill and is built to a height of 20 meters above sea level giving the fort a view that overlooks the entire city along with nice views of the Hajar Mountains and the Arabian Sea.

Historical Significance

Fort Fujairah was a strategic defense structure for the Al Sharqi dynasty and withstood numerous battles and sieges over the centuries. It is most remembers for withstanding the British wave of colonization in the 20^th century. More than a century later, the British navy destroyed three of the fort’s towers in 1925 resulting in the fort being abandoned. The fort remain untouched until 1997 when Fujairah Administration of Antiquity restored the site to its original condition. The restoration took three years and the fort was opened to visitor in 2000.

Fort’s Architecture

Fort Fajairah’s is architecturally fascination as the fort’s daunting walls stand tall on top of the hill. The top of the wall in notched similar to a castle and there are defensive slots in the wall that allow soldiers inside the fort to defend against attacks with minimal risk of being injured.

The most notable architectural feature are the fort’s four towers, three circular and one rectangular tower. It is mainly constructed using local materials such as rock, gravel and mortar. Other parts of the structure is supported by mangrove poles and its roof is made with palm fronds and palm trunks.

Ruins near the fort

Scattered around the fort are remnants of other building that appear to be constructed with similar materials as the fort. I felt that these ruins made for an interesting foreground for photos of the fort. The fort itself doesn’t need anything additional to make a historical statement but I felt the ruin tell a powerful story of the fort standing tall through times of diversity.

The Dust on My Shoes

The Fort Fujairah is a place where we made a quick stop to see but we didn’t have a chance to tour the inside. The outside is impressive and its historic significance is a place that is worth seeing even if you don’t have enough time to have a complete tour of the fort.

I like to take my time and thoroughly see the places that I visit but sometimes being able to quickly see a unique place is better than not seeing it at all. Don’t skip seeing something just because your time is limited!

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