Rising without competition from the surrounding plain, Jabrin Castle is an impressive sight. Even if you have had a surfeit of fortifications, make the effort to clamber over one more set of battlements as Jabrin is one of the best preserved and whimsical castles of them all. Head for the flagpole for a bird's-eye view of the latticed-window courtyard at the heart of the keep.
Built in 1675 by Imam Bil-arab bin Sultan, it was an important centre of learning for astrology, medicine and Islamic law. Look out for the date store , to the right of the main entrance on the left-hand side. The juice of the fruit would have run along the channels into storage vats, ready for cooking or to assist women in labour. Note the elaborately painted ceilings with original floral motifs in many of the rooms which seem to spring illogically from different courtyards. Finding these hidden rooms is part of the fun and the defensive mechanism of Jabrin. Try to locate the burial chambers , remarkable for their carved vaults. There is even a room earmarked for the sultan’s favourite horse. The falaj was not used for water but as an early air-con system.
