Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Dark Castle

Has anyone noticed the huge new fortress being built on a high mesa above Muscat? (I had wanted to have a picture to show you, but will organise that later).

If you stand on the hills of Qurm and look across to the mountains, there it is. Huge. Nice view. Sort of in the style of a fort.

Word has it that its a big new Omani Military headquarters. Sort of an Omani Pentagon if you will. Mostly admin, plus central command of Omani Special forces.

Heard of some people walking a dog up there (....hmm shades of James Bond with that excuse tho', don't you think?). They were shoo'd away by the boys in camoflage and armed.

Strange that it hasn't been in the papers, but I can't wait to be able to check it out with Google Earth! If anyone already has a photo of the Dark Castle, please email it to me and I'll put it up. It really is big, if you hadn't already noticed.

6 comments:

  1. I think it's the new head quarters of the Royal Office, Oman's intelligence apparatus (previously known as the Palace Office and the Private Office). It's the place where all the important decisions in the country are made.

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  2. It is indeed the Royal Office. You can see it pretty well when flying in to Seeb. It's been under construction for ages - the access up to it is from Death Valley Road.

    And it's super hardcore in there. If there was a war tomorrow, and I couldn't get out of the country, thats where I'd want to be.

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  3. I heard that that its a actually a lock-up for all those who write naughty things about the Blue City and the Times of Oman Newspaper. Willie D.

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  4. Muscati, Lurker, thanks for the specifics. Yes, it is huge. Sort of an Omani version of the Pentagon. It certainly safe from tsunami and Gonu II. But its a very ominous building, sitting up there.

    Willie. Hmmm. I wonder if they'll let me have access to broadband? And do they allow waterboarding?

    But don't worry, I won't rat you out... LOL

    I wish they'd make control of corruption a priority...

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  5. undercover dragon, how about you do some investigative work and find out for us how much this monstrosity is going to cost to build. I heard a figure about the cost of just the road to connect it to the rest of the real world and that number alone had my head spinning.

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  6. Will try. The road is pretty spectacular!

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