Fujairah Fort & Heritage Village

Dominating the landscape on a 20-meter-high rocky hill above the palm groves of Fujairah city, Fujairah Fort is the oldest and most commanding fortress in the United Arab Emirates. Constructed between 1500 and 1550 CE and extensively rebuilt in the mid-17th century, this historic stronghold served as both the defensive fortress of the coast and the residence of the ruling Al Sharqi family. The fort features an irregular triangular layout dictated by the underlying bedrock, enclosed by thick mudbrick and stone battlements. It is fortified with two massive round watchtowers and one square tower connected by crenelated ramparts. In 1925, the fort survived heavy naval bombardment by the British Royal Navy during local disputes, sustaining damage that was faithfully restored using traditional techniques. Below the ramparts lies the Fujairah Heritage Village, an open-air museum preserving traditional palm-frond houses (arish), cooking implements, ancestral fishing dhows, and working agricultural falaj irrigation systems.