The Department of Antiquities and Museums in Ras Al-Khaimah announced the end of a major restoration of one of the ancient observation towers outside the Red Island, which is estimated to be about 100 years old, as it was a major part of the defense units of the area that has long been famous for fishing, building boats and diving in search of pearls.
Traditional materials were used in the construction of the tower, such as wooden beams from mangroves, palm fronds, coral stones, and beach stones. Because of its distinguished location on the mainland, the tower formed an effective protection method for the Red Island and its water wells. In addition to this tower, there is another tower on the island from the effects of this period.
The role of the tower began to decline during the fifties period in conjunction with urban growth, and the ensuing linkage of the Red Island to the mainland by the seventies through reclamation and backfilling of lands.
Over the past few years, parts of the tower’s surface have collapsed and stones have been damaged, so the Department of Antiquities and Museums in Ras Al Khaimah has worked to create a detailed log that includes all the architectural characteristics of the tower, and prepared a list of the various reforms that must be made, and then the restoration process began in early April 2020, when workers initially injected a mixture of traditional materials, such as lime, into the walls to support the building, and the restoration process took about four weeks, as workers also rebuilt the tower roof, repaired its main door and renovated some stucco work.
Ahmed Hilal, director of antiquities at the Department of Antiquities and Museums in Ras Al-Khaimah said: “Traditional building methods deliberately leave voids in the structure, which caused a partial collapse in the tower, and during the restoration process no chemicals or modern materials were used, to simulate the construction method. The original and preserving the historical identity of the building, and we were also careful to avoid the use of materials that contain salt as it causes the erosion of the structure ».
Hilal added: "The tower is 11.9 meters high, which is a classic example of traditional defense buildings."
The Department of Antiquities and Museums aims to open the tower to the public, in order to show a part of the emirate's rich heritage to residents and visitors.
The restoration has been carefully made using traditional materials and methods.