Jalan Bani Bu Ali, Oman. Once you have passed by Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, you get to Jalan Bani Bu Ali, two small towns in Oman that derive their distinct names from a rivalry between two brothers. But more than that they stand for the surprising wealthy of heritage buildings that can still be found in the Sultanate.
No signs indicate the location of the fort, but once found the access is easy. Just walk through the large hole in the wall. Inside is a dilapidated, but not fully destroyed scene with broken beams, heaps of rubble, and washed out mud bricks. However, the beautifully carved window frames and shutters, and similarly sophisticated works on the doors can still be found quite intact. Surprisingly, this place is neither looted, nor conserved. It just seems to be ignored.
On the other hand, most newly built houses follow a traditional imagery. And like in many places, here too, the discourse on heritage is more about setting rules for how future buildings should look more traditional, than about giving the traditional buildings a future. The usual trap in such debates is that the perspective on traditional architecture, which initially was a pragmatic, functional way of negotiating between climatic conditions, social patterns and available materials and skills, is moved into being a symbolic vehicle of meaning, often with a political spin to it. In this way, architecture becomes hollowed out, when unfortunately it is treated as a toy, and no longer as a tool.