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26 February 2021

Farasan Fort – Farasan Islands

The Ottoman fort, standing on an elevated ridge of coral-stone bedrock 1.3 kilometres northwest of Farasan town but it is enclosed within a protective wire fence and thus only visable from the outside. Its white-washed stucco construction had been maintained recently by the authorities. The fort is on a rectangular plan with access through a single door in the center of the southern (long) wall, which leads into a courtyard. The building itself runs along the north side of the yard, and has a veranda, while a small room stands at the yard’s eastern end. The main building comprises one large room with shooting positions, with an adjacent room at its west end allowing access to the roof. The fort was served by a nearby well which is outside the fenced area and thus visible. Although small, the building testifies to the Ottoman military presence on the islands in the early of the 20th century.