Fujairah Fort Featured in ‘Sand & Light’—Elements of Islamic Architecture

In the coffee-table book ‘Sand & Light’, produced (2008) by the Amanah division of HSBC, the Fujairah Fort is presented as an example of fine Islamic architecture.

The book covers four main forms of Islamic architecture—mosques, tombs, palaces and forts—examines the key elements of Islamic design, presents examples of the way these designs have been translated into modern buildings, discusses Middle Eastern and international influences and offers cameos of architectural pioneers and contemporary exponents.

Fujairah Fort
The words and photo of the Fujairah building describe the influences in its style, the history of the fort and the building’s various purposes.

The writer then captures something of the fort’s distinctive features:

“Blessed with a starkly beautiful and relatively isolated location, the fort has an uncanny ability to change colour according to the position of the sun in the desert sky: russet, ochre, vanilla white, grey and charcoal are just some of the hues it can take on.”

Stone and Sand
The final feature mentioned to ready readers for a visit is this concluding thought:

“Devoid of traditional Islamic ornamentation, perhaps the most striking aspect of this fortification is the simple stone work that interacts so beautifully with nature.”

Take a Look
Check out this photo album of the Fujairah Fort.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Visit the Fujairah Fort on Friday evenings (November 26 & December 10) and you will see the building lit up as the impressive backdrop for the final stages of the Al Saif, Traditional Sword Competition.

Image: “The fort has an uncanny ability to change colour according to the position of the sun in the desert sky.”