December 26, 2015
Muscat: After the Tourism Department carried out its restoration work, the Al Hazm Fort was officially opened for public earlier this week by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT).
The Al Hazm Fort, which is located in the wilayat of Rustaq in the Al Batinah South Governorate, is one of the most beautiful Omani forts. It had remained closed for quite some time, and has now been renovated and restored by the MoT. The fort will be open to visitors from 9am to 4pm on all days, except Fridays. Visitor timings on Fridays will be from 8am to 11am.
The Al Hazm Fort has high tourism potential, owing to its solid defence features and unique architecture. This has encouraged the MoT to showcase this historical treasure for visitors in ways that will facilitate an appreciation of the history of the fort and its architecture among them.
The MoT, represented by the Directorate of Historical Sites Development, has carried out many projects to conserve this historical landmark and highlight the valuable beautiful collections inside it for different segments of visitors to view and appreciate the same. It recently held an exhibition that outlined the historical legacy of the fort.
Significantly, the Ministry also introduced a modern museum-oriented lighting system that highlights the beauty of the fort, especially in the evening.
The lighting enhances the fort's Omani architectural splendour manifold.
In addition, the Ministry has introduced an audio guide service in five languages for the benefit of those who do not understand Arabic. The audio guide accompanies the tourist on a splendid trip inside the fort. As a result, the visitor can listen to stories and tales in every corner of the fort, and gain valuable historical knowledge. These efforts by the ministry to utilize the fort's tourism potential are sure to yield significant benefits.
The Sunaislah Fort was also opened to the public in this week. It is located in the wilayat of Sur. It had been extensively refurbished as part of a renovation project jointly financed by the MoT and Oman LNG, which aims to develop various facilities for visitors. The fort's theatre was also significantly renovated and its capacity enhanced.
The renovation projects at the Sunaislah and Hazm forts were part of the MoT's visionary programme aimed at the restoration and development of all castles and forts managed by the Ministry.
The programme has been designed to enhance the tourism value of such historical sites through scientific restoration works.
© Times of Oman 2015
