Al Rustaq (الرستاق) is a city in the South Al Batinah region, surrounded by the central Al Hajir mountain range and an abundance of date palm groves and Aflaj. The city came to the forefront of Omani history when Imam Nasser bin Murshid Al Ya’rubi started from here his conquest to unify Oman and repel the Portuguese from the country in the 17th century. Al Rustaq was also once the capital of Oman, and it has many attractions that should make it a much bigger tourist attraction!
Al Rustaq is famous for two impressive and historically important landmarks: Al Hazm Castle (حصن الحزم) and the imposing Al Rustaq Fort (قلعة الرستاق).
Al Hazm Castle is at the outskirts of Al Rustaq and is one of the most famous castles in the Sultanate. The castle was built by Imam Sultan bin Saif II in the early 18th century, who is buried in this castle along with his son. Al Hazm Castle features a massive beautiful wooden door with intricate writing and it is unique among other Omani castles for having its roof held by columns instead of the traditional wooden roof supports. The massive Al Rustaq Fort, a much older fort dating back to the 13th century, is near the city market and be can be seen from the surrounding hills. The fort is cradled by four tall towers, the tallest being more than 18 meters tall. The fort also has its own falaj water system within it.
Both Al Rustaq Fort and Al Hazm Castle are included in the Tentative List to be nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Unfortunately, they were both also closed for renovations during our visit (with typically no foreseen re-opening dates!), but if you climb up the mountain overlooking Rustaq you can see amazing views of the city and Al Rustaq Fort as it is clearly the most dominant feature of the landscape.
