Al Hazm Fort.

Al Hazm fort entranceEntrance to Al Hazm Fort.  (This one is a bit soft, using manual focus &  the sun very bright: my excuse – need to go back!  😉 )

Al Hazm Castle – according to the Ministry guide-book.
Located in Al Hazm town in the District of Rustaq. It was built by Imam Sultan bin Seif the 2nd in ( 1123 A.H.–1711 A.D.) when he established Al Hazm town as a capital of Oman instead of Rustaq. The Castle is distinctive from other Omani Castle and forts by its magnificent shape and massive building. It contains the tomb of its builder – Imam Sultan bin Seif the 2nd.
The builder Imam Sultan bin Seif was the 5th ruler of the Ya’rruba dynasty of Imams; he was the grandson of the Imam (of the same name) who made the Portuguese an offer they could not refuse! they all left, after many years of attempting to subjugate the people.
This Fort is an outstanding example of Omani Islamic architecture and was built for defence against cannon. The roof is built on columns, and contains no wooden supports. Its walls can withstand the impact of cannon balls due to it being at least 3m thick at any point.
It has the outside appearance of being far larger than it really is, helped by tall walls and two towers, one on the Northwest corner & the other on the Southeast – giving almost 360 degrees of cover.
Another interesting fact; it used an advanced form of vaulted arch which was a major departure from the use of straight lines, along with post & lintel construction as had been seen in most of Oman’s earlier defensive constructions.
There are the usual defensive details such as multiple offset doors, pits just after a door (covered with planks of wood, removed when under attack) murder-holes above doors (think boiling oil or fire) along with hidden escape passages.

I have visited this fort on & off, many times as it not only has some of the most friendly and helpful custodians, but its main feature is the impressive collection of cannon.

 

I Digress: Nikolaus Kopernikus (Copernicus) 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543)

An X-class solar flare Credit: NASA/SDO

Nikolaus Kopernikus (Copernicus)  19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543)

De revolutionibus orbium coelestium – Copernicus:

In which he asserted that the universe comprised eight spheres. The furthest consisting of fixed stars, with the Sun motionless at the centre. The planets then known, revolved about the Sun with each in its own sphere: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn. The Moon, revolving in its own sphere around the Earth. What appeared to be the daily revolution of the Sun was infact the Earth’s daily rotation on its own axis about the sun.

He may have been wrong with his ideas that the orbits of celestial bodies must be perfect circles, but his change from geocentric to a heliocentric cosmology helped move the views of science away from Aristotle’s theories and turned astronomy on its head so to speak.

People were not happy …….

Martin Luther was quoted as saying in 1539:

“People gave ear to an upstart astrologer who strove to show that the earth revolves, not the heavens or the firmament, the sun and the moon … This fool wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy…….”

Jebel Harim – Grindstone.

There are several abandoned or semi-abandoned villages in the mountains around Khasab: a large town in the Musandam peninsula.

Many happy hours exploring the area and finding such things as this old grindstone.

Reprint from a few years back: this time on Ilford M/G IV gloss – T-max 400 in D76 1+1.

Old grinding stone Jebel HarimNikon F4 with 50mm f1.8 D AF Nikkor lens.