Fili Fort (''Al Hisn Fili'') is a late Islamic fortification located to the east of the town of

Madam Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for Woman, women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French la ...

, in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

' emirate of

Sharjah Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...

. There are in fact two forts at Hili, Fili west fort and Fili east fort. The west fort is built on a hill at a distance of some 875 metres from the east fort. However, Fili east fort is uniquely referred to as Fili Fort and is a later building dating to the C19th. Fili west fort, located on a small hill in the Madam plain, was established around a watchtower, or ''Muraba'a'', and is said locally to be 500 years old, a dating not supported by archaeologists, who estimate both forts as C19th constructions. The two forts are connected by a network of two underground waterways, or a''flaj'''','' which themselves connect to aflaj running from the

Hajar Mountains The Hajar Mountains (, ''The Rock (geology), Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') are one of the highest mountain ranges in the Arabian Peninsula, shared between northern Oman and eastern United Arab Emirates. Also known as "Oman Mounta ...

. Fili Fort was at one stage used as a police station and a more modern, smooth-walled section attached to the square fortification (on the opposite corner to the two-story tower) attests to this later use. The ruin of an old souq, a four-roomed flat-roofed structure, stands nearby Fili Fort. A number of Islamic era burials dot the plain around the fort. Finds of ceramics in the area date from

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

to C19th Chinese trade ware. Fili Fort formed part of Sharjah's 2018 bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status, under the heading 'Sharjah, Gateway to the Trucial States', which also included the Heart of Sharjah; Sharjah Fort; the former barracks of the

Trucial Oman Scouts The Trucial Oman Scouts (), known as Trucial Oman Levies prior to 1956, was a predecessor paramilitary force that operated in the Trucial States under British control from 1951 to 1971, after which they were renamed to the Union Defence Force with ...

in Mirgab; Al Mahatta Fort, the first airport in the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from an ocean or their seas into a landmass, larger and typically (though not always) with a narrower opening than a bay (geography), bay. The term was used traditionally for large, highly indented navigable bodies of s ...

; the coastal town of

Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan () is a city and an exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah. The city, the second largest on ...

; the oasis and settlement of

Wadi Helo Wadi Al Helo (, literally 'the sweet Valley') is a village in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Wadi Al Helo lies on the Sharjah to Kalba Road (E102), about southwest of Kalba. The settlement is situated in the seasonal watercourse, or ...

, all following the theme of a return to the simplicity and natural lifestyles of the late 1950s.

References

{{Sharjah Forts in the United Arab Emirates History of the United Arab Emirates by topic History of the Emirate of Sharjah