The fortified farmstead

The summer residence consists of a large stone tower to the west and a separate three-room building with an incorporated mud brick tower to the east. Both units were once connected with walls forming a courtyard between them. While these walls had been made from sunburned mud-bricks towards the garden area in the south, the enclosure to the Wadi side might have consisted of a stone wall. No traces have been left but the attachment for this wall at the northern side of the single tower.


The building	The tower

Residence, farmstead and retreat

Stone tower, private buildings and courtyards had a dual domestic and defensive function and can be called a fortified farmstead. It served as a summer residence for the ruling family in the palm groves of Falayah, where the climate is more pleasant than at the coast. At the same time the work in the gardens was administered from here. The fortified towers and the large central courtyard were designed for defense against the sporadic raids of lightly armed tribesmen. It may have been used as a retreat for the population of Falayah, who could gather with their animals inside. At the same time Falayah was part of a network, which allowed visible contact to other watchtowers of Ras al-Khaimah. They all served as a warning system against raiders from outside. A walled courtyard used as a retreat in times of attack is a well-known phenomenon called 'Sur' and can be found in the coastal plains of the Oman Peninsula, especially in the Batinah were around 100 were collected and studied (Costa 1985). This kind of fortification is typical for the quite dispersed settlements inside palm gardens, which had to rely on wells.

The stone tower with its attached building and portico has parallels with two other towers in the area of Nakheel, Ras al-Khaimah (Kennet 1995: Tower 5 (al-Hudayba) and tower 11 (al-Uraybi)). Both were part of a fortified complex as well. These closely related towers might have been the residences of other 'Sheikhs' as well. Their similar concept might conclude that they were built around the same time.

Keeping in mind that until recently most houses had been made from either mud-bricks or 'Barasti' (palm fond) emphasizes the representative character of the Falayah complex. Residing in a mainly stone built complex must have been a symbol of wealth and power. Also the erection of a mosque can be seen as an additional element of prestige.

Costa 1985 - The sur of the Batinah. Journal of Oman Studies 8, 2: 121-194

Kennet && Connolly 1995 - The Towers of Ras al-Khaimah, Oxford