Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Salut Fort to get facelift

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MUSCAT: The Office of His Majesty’s Adviser for Cultural Affairs has awarded a tender for the first phase of renovation of Salut Fort in the Wilayat of Bahla to a local company. Salut Fort is located at a hill in the town of Bisya in the Wilayat of Bahla, in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah. The fort and its surrounding area is considered as one of the oldest forts in Oman and an ancient historic landmark, which embodies the features of an old period of time and tells the ancient history and importance of the place. It also emphasises the depth of ancient Omani civilisation and its relation to early historical periods. Salut Fort has passed through various historical periods, including the early settlers and the period when it was used by Al Nabahinah and Al Ya’ariba periods to be the centre of power.

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Salut area as mentioned in the history books is the area where Al Azd led by Malik bin Fahm clashed with the Persians. In recent times, several expeditions and archaeological surveys have been carried out at the fort and the surrounding areas. Harvard University’s mission was the first such mission that documented some Bronze Age sites, which date back to the third millennium BC in Oman. The surveys showed that the valley of Bahla also known as “Wadi Bahla” was rich with several sites that belong to the Bronze Age. The Italian mission from University of Pisa, in 2004 found the settlement of “Salut” belong to the Stone Age.

The discovery was made with the support and supervision of His Majesty’s Adviser for Cultural Affairs Office, and the British mission. The Ministry of Heritage and Culture is currently searching and excavating with the French mission around the area surrounding the fort. The Italian mission’s excavations showed the importance of Salut site from a historical perspective, as this site is linked closely with the beginning of the ancient history of Oman, particularly with the arrival of Arabian tribes to Oman from the Arabian Peninsula. The site also showed that it is linked with the appearance of Afalaj, “an ancient irrigation system or water channels”. The mission excavated important landmarks, including the cemetery on the summit of Salut Mountain. — ONA


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