Al Midfa's
majlis became a popular meeting place, particularly of men of letters, as Ibrahim built a reputation as a learned man, and he built a unique circular
barjeel, or windtower, to cool the space. Regular gatherings at the
majlis took place to discuss poetry, literature and politics. The ornate
barjeel - wind tower - was decorated with tiles imported from
India, another indication of Al Midfa's relative wealth by the standards of the time. It stands as the only circular
barjeel in the United Arab Emirates. The Al Midfa house - the
Bait Al Midfa - and its
majlis stands today, as does the
barjeel above it, as part of the modern Chedi Al Bait Hotel development and various items of Al Midfa's possessions are displayed in cabinets in the hotel. Outside the
majlis, a verandah runs along the length of the building, with four serrated archways and columns to its exterior. As well as teak beams, mangrove poles supported the roof, with woven
barasti, palm fronds, packing the ceiling space. The building itself is of gypsum and coral, the latter keeping the walls porous and breathable, while wind scoops in the walls helped to ventilate the space. The courtyard of the majlis was shaded by a large tree that the family would sleep around in the hot summer months. The house was abandoned in the 1970s, until it was renovated and opened to the public as a museum in 1996, prior to the construction of the
Al Bait Hotel, which incorporates the
Bait Al Midfa and three other merchants' houses into its structure. Two of Al Midfa's brothers' houses also form part of the hotel building -
Bait Eissa Al Midfa forms the hotel reception and
Bait Abdul Rahman Al Midfa has become the Heritage guestroom block. == Oman Newspaper ==