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Riffa Fort

🇧🇭 Bahrain · 17th century

Riffa Fort in Bahrain
Photo: See above · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Riffa Fort (Arabic: قلعة الرفاع, romanized: Qal'at ar-Rifa') also known as, Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Fateh Fort or Qal'at ar-Riffa, is a fort in Riffa, Bahrain. The fort is situated on a cliff overlooked the desert valley between East Riffa and West Riffa.

In the early 18th century, a fort was built here by Fareer bin Rahhal. Over time, the fort fell and only the foundation remained. Later, during the reign of Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Al Khalifa, he rebuilt the fort using the existing foundation in 1812. The fort was used for defense and the residence of Shaikh Salman bin Al Fateh.

In the 19th century the fort was a residence for Sheikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh and then it was inherited by his grand children. Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, who ruled Bahrain from 1869 to 1932, was born in this fort.

Text adapted from “Riffa Fort” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Riffa Fort ranks #2,762 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #3 of the 3 mapped in Bahrain. Founded c. 1650, it is older than 26% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 580 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,061 times in the last 60 days, more than 50% of the atlas. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Bahrain compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Riffa Fort?

Riffa Fort stands in Bahrain, at 26.11778°, 50.56278°.

When was Riffa Fort built?

The atlas dates its founding to c. 1650. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Riffa Fort?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #2,762 of 7,738 worldwide, and #3 in Bahrain. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Riffa Fort?

Qal'at al-Bahrain, about 14 km away.

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