Explore Sur
Tourist Attractions in Wilayat Sur
The Wilaya of Sur, capital of Al Sharqiyah and its principal city
Sur is "the rock" in the Phoenician language
Famed for many industries such as ships, daggers and sweets
And it abounds in a vast wealth of folk arts
Al Ayjah, Qalhat, Tiwi, Ras Al Hadd and the turtle reserve are its most prominent tourist assets
Al Sunaysilah Fort, Bilad Sur, Ras Al Hadd and Al Ayjah Castle are the most important historical sites
The Maritime Museum and the Fath Al Khair park are evidence of the pioneering role
that the Omanis played in the field of maritime navigation
The turtle reserve at Ras Al Hadd gains tourist fame
for embracing many turtles, the most important being the rare green turtles
Abdullah Ba Alawi: The Wilaya of Sur is considered the capital of the Al Sharqiyah region and one of its regional centres, and it is the centre of the wilayas of the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate. The wilaya lies in the northern part of the Al Sharqiyah region, bounded to the north by the Wilaya of Qurayyat, to the south by the Wilaya of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, to the west by the Wilaya of Wadi Bani Khalid and the Wilaya of Al Kamil Wal Wafi, and to the east by the Arabian Sea. The name Sur means "the rock" in the Phoenician language, according to what was related by the Greek historian (Herodotus), and its being the capital of the Al Sharqiyah region confirms its pioneering standing, not only in the world of navigation and trade but in its distinguished strategic geographical location. The Wilaya of Sur comprises the two nyabahs of Tiwi and Ras Al Hadd, and its people are divided into three categories: the settled (hadar), who are the people of trade; the Bedouin (badia), who are the owners of livestock; and farmers and fishermen. Sur played a pioneering and historical role in the movement of trade and navigation, and enjoyed an old, firm relationship with the sea, and possesses an ancient history in maritime trade, where the trading ships sailed from the coast of (Mukha) and Qalhat to the largest world markets such as India, China, East Africa and the Iranian coasts. It was famed for many industries such as shipbuilding, being the most active shipbuilding centre in the Arabian Peninsula in the last century, in addition to its distinction in the various wood industries, the textile, sweets and dagger industries, the Sur woman's jewellery of gold and silver, and the leather and palm-frond industries. Sur, its nyabahs and its villages abound in a vast wealth of ancient and varied folk arts such as the arts of the Razha, the Maydan, the Tashahshah and the sea arts.
The Wilaya of Sur kept pace with the blessed renaissance whose foundations were laid by the dutiful son of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said the Revered — may God preserve him — through a tourism renaissance in the wilaya represented in the establishment of hotels, rest-houses and fine restaurants, in addition to the natural parks, the municipal gardens, the parks and the beautiful beaches from the nyabah of Tiwi to the borders of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali.
The tourist places in Sur
The Wilaya of Sur is distinguished by an immortal history and abounds in many tourist and historical assets spread throughout the wilaya, its nyabahs and its villages, such as the beautiful beaches, the sea inlets (khors), the historical sites and the ship factories.
The springs, aflaj and caves represent tourist landmarks (of the city of Sur), where there are some small springs in the mountainous areas, used to irrigate some crops. There are also 102 flowing aflaj. Among the most important caves for which the Wilaya of Sur is famous is the Majlis Al Jinn cave, located in Wadi Bani Jabir owing to its nearness to the wilaya, which is considered the second largest cave in the world and can accommodate seven Boeing aircraft; it was discovered by satellites and falls administratively under the Wilaya of Qurayyat, in addition to the two caves (Magharat Al Ais) and (Jarf Munkhariq). Among its landmarks too is (Wadi Shab) in the nyabah of (Tiwi), which is considered one of the fertile wadis and is a tourist-attraction centre.
Among the tourist sites:
* Al Ayjah:
It lies on the side opposite the beach of Sur, and can be reached via the paved road for a distance of 10 kilometres. Crossing was previously by ferry, and the ferry is still used for the same purpose alongside the overland road. Its location between the sea and the mountains made it isolated in the past, but it is fortified with towers and forts, and you can now use the suspension bridge to reach it.
* The historic city of Qalhat:
This city witnessed in the past an ancient civilisation, and is distinguished by its geographical location overlooking the Arabian Sea, and its great ruins that tell the tourist constants about the strength of the Omani's will. In the past, in the thirteenth century, it was the main commercial port linking the interior and the exterior, and it is about 24 kilometres from the wilaya centre. You can take the road leading to the Oman Liquefied Natural Gas Company. Among its historical remains is the mausoleum of Lady Maryam, called (Bibi Maryam), which is a beautiful building topped by a dome, some of whose upper parts have collapsed; its four sides are similar in design and ornamentation, outside and inside the building.
* The nyabah of Tiwi
This nyabah is about 45 kilometres from the wilaya centre and lies to the north-west of Sur, taking the same road leading to the historic city of Qalhat. A graded, unpaved mountain road connects the nyabah of Tiwi to the Wilaya of Sur. The nyabah is distinguished by enchanting sites such as Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi, whose waters flow throughout the year very abundantly, with its wide expanse and the permanent agriculture around it, surrounded by the towering mountains that lend it enchanting beauty.
* The nyabah of Ras Al Hadd
The nyabah of Ras Al Hadd is considered one of the tourist sites in which the Wilaya of Sur abounds, and it is 61 kilometres to the east of the wilaya's location. Its name is taken from the "hadd" (edge) or the rim, and in it is the first sunrise in the Arabian Peninsula. Its beach is distinguished by the bays and rock formations that form a refuge for a number of different birds searching for food during their migration to the winter regions. In it are two khors, Al Hajar and Jarama; Ras Al Hadd is also distinguished by its importance in the presence of the small mangrove trees and the coral groups spread on the rocks of the beaches.
* Al Sunaysilah Fort
Al Sunaysilah Fort stands tall on a round plateau overlooking Sur, and lies in the village of Al Sunaysilah. It is said that the history of this dominant fort — designed on an original square style with its round towers standing at its four corners — goes back to more than 300 years, and it is considered one of the Portuguese sites that overlooked the coast and the road leading to the interior.
* Bilad Sur Fort
This fort stands with its unique tower, surrounded by flourishing orchards of date palms, and is considered the largest of the forts in the Wilaya of Sur. It lies in the Bilad Sur area, and the fort was placed strategically inland, away from the sea. It forms part of an integrated defensive network that originally comprised five forts and countless watchtowers.
* Ras Al Hadd Fort
This fort controls small sandy coastal lands that form the eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, considered as a place of settlement and a land base for the ancient sailors early in history. It lies in the nyabah of Ras Al Hadd and is one of the historical landmarks of the wilaya, its history going back 450 years. The fort has three towers and a wide courtyard, used in the past as a shelter against wars, and it contains an underground passage from the great tower leading to the outside.
* Al Ayjah Castle
Al Ayjah Castle, called the Castle of Al Hamouda, is an architectural structure in the shape of a square, containing many rooms designated for learning and for the administration of the region's affairs in the past, and it has four towers overlooking the coast.
* The Maritime Museum
The city of Sur abounds in its maritime heritage, which highlights the great pioneering role the Omanis played in the field of maritime navigation over a long period of time. To preserve this heritage, and so that it does not fade from the memory of the generations, the Maritime Museum was established in the Wilaya of Sur, at the seat of the Al Uruba Club, to embody the various aspects of the maritime heritage and the domestic heritage in a single crucible. This museum was established in 1987, and since its establishment it provides a scientific service to its visitors — students, intellectuals and tourists — interested in researching the treasures of Omani civilisation and the diligence and perseverance that the righteous ancestors displayed in pursuit of a proper living. The museum contains the types of Omani ships in pictures and models, pictures of their captains, shipbuilders and the ports they frequented, the equipment and the maritime-navigation tools of measurements, maps and manuscripts, in addition to the shipbuilding tools. The museum includes old pictures of the Wilaya of Sur in 1905, its landmarks, ruins and old mosques, a number of its poets and folk-medicine men, the money used in the past, the Sur costumes, and the vessels used in cooking, drinking and household purposes.
* The Fath Al Khair ship park
The Fath Al Khair ship is considered the last of the ships that the immense maritime fleet owned by the Wilaya of Sur comprised, which had the great merit of making Oman known in the various ports where that fleet anchored, where the efforts of the devoted sons of Sur were crowned with success in buying it and returning it to its original home where it was built. Fath Al Khair is distinguished by the soundness of its making, the quality of its wood and the beauty of its form, which made it a historical masterpiece representing that glorious past of the people of Sur, captains, builders and sailors. This park was built on the edge of Khor Samr in the Al Rasha area, and a cultural centre will now be established in it.
* Ras Mil Tower
Ras Mil Tower lies in the Al Ayjah area and at the entrance of Khor Al Batah. In the past it consisted of a circular wall two metres high, built of stones and clay. Through this tower the entrance of the khor could be controlled, and it was lit with a nightly beacon to guide ships to avoid colliding with the rocks. It was restored by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and is now considered a tourist attraction that adds aesthetic touches to the city's front.
* The ship factory
The ship factory lies in the Wilaya of Sur, adjacent to the coast of Khor Al Batah, and consists of many workshops owned by the people of the wilaya, who have wide experience in shipbuilding. The process of building and making ships can be followed in the places designated for it.
* The turtle reserve
The turtle reserve is in the nyabah of Ras Al Hadd and is considered one of the tourist attractions that draw large numbers of tourists, and is considered one of the best places for the nesting of turtles. Its area is about 120 square kilometres and includes the beaches, the coastal areas and the seabed, and it embraces nesting places for many turtles, the most important being the rare green turtle.
