Um Hosn Tower

The ruined stone tower of Umm Hosn once defended the approach to the western end of the Liwa crescent. Oral histories collected around 1955 refer to the tower being called Huwayla or Umm Hosn and indicate that it was built in the latter part of the nineteenth century—a date supported by the limited finds of Late Islamic pottery excavated during recent archaeological work. The tower was constructed on the local limestone formation using flat stone slabs quarried from the immediate vicinity. The areas quarried for the stone became sunken enclosures bounded by walls, which were accessed via a single entrance to the east of the tower. The tower also protected a well dug through the limestone, providing access to vital groundwater.