Dhafeer Fort

To apprehend the fort Dhafeer, you must plunge in the context of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, where the region was not pacified, and rather sparsely populated. A few dozen nomads on dromedaries were enough to threaten the fragile balance of an oasis. We have very little information about Al Hamily fort, so let's consider what follows with great care. By visiting the strong house, one realizes that its primary utility is housing. But in the light of historical accounts, this type of construction was not common at all in the region, where the inhabitants lived rather in traditional woven palm-leaf houses. We can thus suppose that it was rather the residence of a rich local notable, perhaps of a chief of tribe.

The Dhafeer fort, or rather the fortified house Al Hamily, is a unique architectural piece. The fortress is surrounded by a small wall of about one meter seventy (more than two meters with battlements) oblong, with a door in the center. The house has two levels, plus a roof terrace.

The fortified house is not furnished but pay attention to the exposed beams of palm wood and the geometric shapes of the windows, especially on the first level and in the stairwells.

While climbing on the roof terrace, a magnificent panorama is offered to the eyes, with beyond the crenellations of the wall, a large dune of sand.

Unlike other forts along the Liwa Forts Road, Dhafeer Fort is very easy to find. When you are at the two main roundabouts of Mezaira'a, continue west. Very quickly, you will engage in a wide curve of the road to the left. Slow down, you will see the fortified house Al Hamily at the edge of the road, during a descent.

Our article Liwa Oasis Road of Forts lists the other forts in the Liwa Oasis, some of which are very close to Fort Dhafeer. Continuing hard on the road to the west, you will see signs indicating the Moreeb Dune. The road that leads to it is beautiful, certainly the most beautiful of the Emirates, and offers exceptional views to admire a sunset on the dunes.

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