Jabrin Castle

Interesting facts

Jabrin's builder was the son of Imam Sultan bin Saif, who raised the great round tower of Nizwa Fort, so two of Oman's best-known strongholds came from father and son.

When Bil'arab bin Sultan succeeded his father as imam in 1679, it confirmed a hereditary succession, although Ibadi tradition held that imams should be elected.

Beyond palace and fortress, Jabrin was a seat of learning with rooms set aside for study, and it later housed a boarding school.

Oman's tourism ministry describes the palace as a large rectangular block containing 55 rooms spread over several levels.

The rectangular inner castle has two large towers set at diagonally opposite corners, and a falaj water channel runs across both of its courtyards.

A set of royal tableware known as the Jabrin Collection was the subject of a scholarly study by the German orientalist Heinz Gaube, published in 2021.

The original old settlement that once stood around the castle no longer exists.

Why it is worth it

Jabrin Castle rises from the palm groves of Oman's interior as a tall, plain mass of earth-coloured walls and towers, but its rooms hold some of the most delicate decoration in the country. Painted wooden ceilings, carved doors and stucco work fill a building that was conceived not first as a fort but as a palace, and it is counted among the outstanding works of Omani architecture, whose strength lies in its simplicity of form.

The castle was built around 1670 by Bil'arab bin Sultan of the Ya'rubi dynasty, while his father Sultan bin Saif was still imam. When Bil'arab himself became imam he moved the seat of government here from Rustaq, and Jabrin served as a centre of power until his death in 1692; he is buried within the castle. During his rule he quarrelled with his brother Saif bin Sultan, and the building was reinforced with additional walls and defensive towers as a result. The castle was extensively restored in the early 1980s and refurnished to evoke the life of an Omani court.

Inside, the building rises over several storeys around two adjoining courtyards, each with its own deep well. A water channel was dug specifically for the castle, running through its interior before branching out to irrigate the surrounding date palms, and a store for dates survives among the service rooms. The finest interior is the Sun and Moon Room, the reception hall, lit by fourteen windows arranged in two rows: the upper ones admit moonlight, while the lower ones can be opened or closed to control the sun. Its ceiling, like those of other rooms, is painted with floral, geometric and calligraphic motifs. From the roof terraces the view takes in the oasis and the nearby Jebel Akhdar mountains.

Getting there

Jabrin lies about 9 km from Bahla, in the Ad Dakhiliyah region, not far from Nizwa. The nearest international airport is Muscat International Airport (MCT), about 130 km away.

Jabrin Castle

Interesting facts

Why it is worth it

Getting there

Plan your visit

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