34.4°

Abu Arish Castle

: A Historical Landmark Recounting the Memory of the Place

Jazan

Abu Arish Castle is distinguished by its massiveness, strong construction, and circular towers. It was built using local volcanic stones and red bricks, and neither its construction date nor the name of its builder is known specifically.

Abu Arish Castle, also called Dar al-Nasr, is one of the ancient historical landmarks in the Jazan Region. It is characterized by its massiveness and the precision and strength of its construction, in addition to being one of the fortified castles built in the Ottoman style.

The castle is located within the city of Abu Arish, taking a square shape with a side length of 40 m. It has circular towers at its corners and surveillance and defense openings in the upper parts of its walls. It was built from local volcanic stones alternating with red bricks, covered by a layer of clay and gypsum plaster.

The construction date of this castle is not accurately known, nor is the name of its builder. Perhaps the earliest reference to this castle was linked with incidents that occurred around it during the Ottoman era, in 989 and 991 AH.

The castle remained inhabited, undergoing successive rounds of repair and reconstruction until it was overtaken by ruin and its structures collapsed. In 1354 AH / 1935 AD, Sheikh Abdullah Qadhi, the Treasurer of Jazan, resolved to reconstruct it; he began repairing its facade and erecting its main gate, but this work ceased before completion. Over time, cracks kept increasing until its gate collapsed in 1391 AH / 1971 AD.

Thus, Abu Arish Castle has remained a witness to aspects of the region's history and a prominent landmark in its architectural memory.