ITCHY FEET TRAVELS

Bahla Fort, Oman

Jan 10, 2024

Imagine it is sometime between 12^th -15^th century CE. A camel caravan trudges through the desert from Dhokar, in the far south. It is Dhokar that is the source of treasures like myrrh, frankincense and even gold. It is from there that the biblical kings brought their gifts to Jesus as the story goes. And it is from there that ships sailed to India, Africa and other ports carrying their precious trade goods. But there were also overland routes north for yet more lucrative trade. The forts and watchtowers that pepper the landscape of Oman were built to safeguard these goods, much like the caravanserais along the Silk Road.

One such is the Bahla Fort near Nizwa, built by Banu Nebhan, the dominant tribe at the time. Even though built practically yesterday, the plans for the actual fort are lost. An attempt to restore the fort was botched when stone and mortar were used instead of unbaked mudbrick. But now a UNESCO world heritage site, it is being slowly renovated, this time hopefully closer to the original design.

A pair of canons stand guard at the entrance along with the tallest of the round towers. Steep stairs run up to the fort walls punctuated by ramparts for archers. Built atop a rocky mound, it commands a grand view over the plains to the south and the mountain ridges to the north. It also overlooks the old village set in the oasis of palm trees. The village today is a mix of abandoned mudbrick buildings and newer concrete ones. It begs to be explored but I haven’t the time.

Inside the fort is a large plaza-like area leading to stairs, rooms, balconies and watchtowers. It is even more of a maze than Jabreen Castle and I delight in exploring all the nooks and crannies.

The views from the ramparts and towers alone are worth the visit. A couple of rooms are taken up with shops selling handmade pottery but they are done tastefully and do not clash with the design of the fort.