Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Saudi Arabia Tarout Castle

Tarout Castle

This former Portuguese defensive fort atop a hill was occupied for thousands of years.

Tarout, Saudi Arabia

Added By
alnajina
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tarout Castle   AhmadElq / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tarout Castle   AhmadElq / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tarout Castle   AhmadElq / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tarout Castle   AhmadElq / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tarout Castle   alnajina / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the island of Tarout, atop a small hill overlooking the historical neighborhood of Al-Dirah, sits the Tarout Castle, a military fort of three towers. The fort is a testament to a period of Portuguese control in the Persian Gulf in the 16th century, but the hill houses a much older tale spanning 5,000 years.

The Portuguese Empire stretched its control from the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf, eventually reaching the coast of Arabia. The colonists would then fortify their new colonies with defensive forts, such as this one and the Qal'at al-Bahrain in Bahrain.

This Portuguese expansion culminated in a large naval war with the Ottoman Empire over control of the Persian Gulf. After five decades, the Portuguese finally lost control of Eastern Arabia, starting 300 years of Ottoman rule.

The hill has been occupied for over 5,000 years, as archaeological discoveries date to the Dilmun Civilization of the 3rd millennium. The fort may have been built on the ruins of an ancient temple, as many ancient religious statues were found in its vicinity. In particular, many relics have been linked to the ancient Semitic goddess Ishtarut or Ishtar, the patron goddess of her namesake, "Tarut" island.

Related Tags

Colonialism Fortresses Ruins History & Culture

Know Before You Go

The Fort overlooks “hamam tarout,” a historical natural spring bath that locals used until it dried up in recent decades. Across from it, you can find the old neighborhood of Al-Dirah, which has many old houses and a small local museum.

Community Contributors

Added By

alnajina

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 25, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Tarout Castle
Tarout
Saudi Arabia
26.569712, 50.065735

Nearby Places

Barbar Temple

Barbar, Bahrain

miles away

‘Madbasa’

Karbabad, Bahrain

miles away

Bahrain World Trade Center

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Middle East

Places 29
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Barbar Temple

Barbar, Bahrain

miles away

‘Madbasa’

Karbabad, Bahrain

miles away

Bahrain World Trade Center

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Middle East

Places 29
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Ruins of a tower, destroyed during the Battle of Bomarsund

    Bomarsund, Åland Islands

    Bomarsund Fortress

    This impressive coastal fortress was destroyed before it was finished.

  • Red-stone castle ruins sit atop a green hill

    Allinge, Denmark

    Hammershus Castle Ruins

    Northern Europe’s largest castle ruins sit precariously on an island cliffside.

  • The ruins of El Cuartelejo.

    Scott City, Kansas

    El Cuartelejo

    The ruins of the northernmost pueblo in the Americas tell the story of a mixing of native cultures.

  • Abo kiva in foreground, church in background

    Mountainair, New Mexico

    Salinas Pueblo Missions

    The remains of Abó, Gran Quivera, and Qurai are monuments to the long, complicated history of the Indigenous people of the Southwest.

  • 19th Century wash-house viewed from the ramparts.

    Beaune, France

    Ramparts of Beaune

    These ramparts, once lined with towers, were constructed in defense of Beaune.

  • El Castillo de Hierro

    Pruna, Spain

    El Castillo de Hierro (The Iron Castle of Pruna)

    This remote location of this Moorish stronghold means it doesn’t attract many tourists—and that it still has the aura of fear and bravery of the 1300s.

  • Aerial view of Castellum Fectio

    Bunnik, Netherlands

    Castellum Fectio

    For years, the remains of this ancient Roman fortress were hidden under an orchard.

  • Ki Castle and its defensive walls.

    Soja, Japan

    Ki Castle (Kinojo Castle Ruins)

    A rare example of an ancient Japanese hill castle believed to be the fortress of a legendary demon.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.