Bilad Sur Castle

Bilad Sur Castle lies in the Hesse neighborhood of the city of Sur, in the Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate in Oman.

Sur's ideal location; situated around a small bay, which forms a natural harbor, and a large lagoon, fed by 2 creeks, made it an established center for maritime trade with East Africa already in the 6th century. In the 16th century it came under Portuguese rule, during which it declined as the Portuguese favored Muscat. This lasted until the early mid-17th century, when the Portuguese were expelled by Imam Nasir ibn Murshid. After that, the town was economically revived and again became a center for maritime trade with India and East Africa. It also became famous for its shipyards producing dhows.

All this activity needed to be protected, so Sur was fortified with a defensive network that originally included 5 castles and multiple watchtowers, which all are said to date back to the 17th century. So some may originally be Portuguese fortifications modified by the Omanis.

Bilad Sur Castle was built on a plain west of Sur. It was meant to protect the town against invading tribes from the interior. It also served as the seat of the local wali (governor) and place where holidays and events were celebrated.

Its ground plan is a skewed square with towers at its 4 corners. They are named the Trench Tower, the Jalan Tower and the Market Tower. The 4th, of which I don't know the name, at the northeast corner served as some sort of keep.

Sunaysilah Castle apparently is sometimes open for visits. It was closed when I came by, however, and I could not find any info about opening times. With all these fortifications; besides this one also Sunaysilah Castle, Al Ayjah Castle and Harat Al Aqbah Tower, in one city, Sur was a very nice destination.

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