Posts Tagged ‘historical site’

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Fujairah Celebrations Continue

December 12, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

three camels and people observing

The Al Saif sword competition and accompanying celebrations continue through December 17th. So, last Friday we headed down to the Fort to see what was happening. We were too late to see the bull butting contest or the camel race, but some of the camels were still out basking in the attention of their admirers.

man and small boy riding a camel

This little fellow was lucky enough to get a ride.

meat on skewers

We had a tasty snack of lamb and chicken skewers.

pottery, platters, coffee pots and other traditional items

A wide range of traditional items were on display – pottery, tools, platters, coffee pots, etc.

two camels laying down

More camels – these are taking a rest. In the background, a horse and a miniature pony who have been giving rides to children.

men resting in a tent

Two majlis tents were available for those wishing to sit, rest and enjoy each other’s company. (Majlis has a variety of meanings, but generally refers to any area where people sit comfortably and discuss.)

The activities at the Fort have been very enjoyable, much like a county fair. These are genuine foods, activities, sports, and arts of the local area.

Posted in camels, celebration, culture, Fujairah, historical site, United Arab Emirates | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

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Bithnah Fort

October 15, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

restored fort

Saturday afternoon we visited the Bithnah Fort…

city at the far side of a dry river bed

which is across a wadi from the town of Al Bithnah…

date palm tree farm and mountains behind

and surrounded by date palm farm.

stone building covered in scaffolding

Restoration is still in process.

stone work in a flower design

The restoration includes decorative stonework and woodwork.

wooden door

stone wall

I hope they don’t cover this wall in plaster. It is beautiful, as is.

old rusted Mobil oil barrel that is now part of a water well

This Mobil oil barrel probably didn’t expect to end up part of a water well.

red mountains in the late afternoon sun

The mountains are quite beautiful.

Al Bithnah is between Fujairah and Masafi. The fort can be seen from the highway. It is a short drive with good signage, BUT the road is not paved and goes through the wadi. We made it with our compact car, but had to drive very carefully because it is very rough roadway.

Posted in Fujairah, historical site | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

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Exploring Fujairah: Part 1

August 29, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

I have the week off for Eid, so  no work this week, just work around the house and fun. Saturday was spent twiddling my thumbs while the Ikea delivery men assembled our new wardrobes, book cases and kitchen table. Sunday was spent ignoring all the unpacking, cleaning and rearranging necessary after this influx of furniture. So, when Monday rolled around, I decided we should get out for a drive and see things we’ve never seen and take pictures of whatever we come across. Our route was rather complex, looping around and doubling back. I’m going to publish it in multiple posts, so hang in there.

First, Al Hayl Castle:

small three story tower and courtyard

This small fort is southwest of Fujairah city. The way is well indicated by signs, easy to find. (Click here for more info about the castle.) The caretaker was eager to give us a tour. He is Bangladeshi and his English is quite limited. He insisted on taking pictures of us posing in several locations.

crazy people who write this blog

He included his finger in most of the pictures, so I will just post this one.

very narrow stairs with a lodge pole handrail

DaddyBird was very brave and went up these stairs to see the second story. I did not. They are very narrow and the steps are very tall and the handrail is very wobbly.

arrow hole in a wall

And what castle doesn’t have a few holes through which to shoot arrows?

a man's arm stretched out in front of the camera pointing to the right

Here is a picture of our guide. Despite the fact that I was taking a picture, he felt compelled to point something else out to me.

view of a valley with palm trees

This is the view of the valley from the watchtower.

sloped depressions in the floor leading to a drain

This is the floor of what the caretaker told us was the store room. He said that they would put apples here and that the juice would drain down. That would not have been my guess.

small lizard blending in on the wall

This little lizard was quite well camouflaged.

We tipped the caretaker 10 AED for his trouble, but he was not impressed with this amount. So, if you go and get his tour, you might want to more generous than we were.

You can see all the pictures here.

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