Jibreen Castle

The dark, cool interiors are well sheltered from the glaring sun and heat outside. Here can be seen the castle wall and date palm plantation outside the wall. The additional buildings within the walls have been equipped with modern cooling systems and electric. In such buildings, glass windows are provided to maintain the cooled climate within. This is not the case of the castle itself. The windows have bars, occasionally wood shutters, but never any glass. Air circulation is of the first concern to keep the castle naturally cool.

The inhabitants of the castle were well provided for with plantations of date palms without the castle walls. Within the walls there were many wells. These strategically placed wells served bathrooms, ablution rooms, and kitchens.

Doors are nestled within thick walls. The threshold is usually raised slightly between rooms. Space above the lintels of doorways provide space for niches to be  adorned with lamps, decorations, and books.

High ceilings help mitigate the intense heat. Low seating is traditional with back cushions and elaborate hand knotted carpets. The walls show their thickness in this photo. In some places, the walls are about 2 m or 6 feet thick. Niches for books and decorations are common in most public and shared rooms.

Highly decorated painted ceilings are throughout the castle, and walls often had colorful frescos .

Sunlight streams through a small window in a cell within the castle.

Exterior of a portion of Jibreen Castle