Bahla Fort

Bahla Fort (Arabic: قلعة بهلاء, romanized: Qalʿat Bahlāʿ) is one of four historic fortresses situated at the foot of the Jebel Akhdar highlands in Oman and was the country's first UNESCO-listed fort added in 1987. In 1988, the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn became the second Omani site to be declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Bahla Fort underwent massive restoration efforts and reopened in 2012. However, the complex lacks in visitor information. There are no exhibits or brochures available to learn more about this large space or guides at hand to provide further details, so people either need to go on a tour or explore on their own.

The fort is believed to have been built between the 12th and 15th century by the Banu Nebhan tribe who inhabited the area at the time and were known for controlling the trade of frankincense. As part of the complex, there is also a citadel oasis adjacent to the fort and an ancient wall spanning 13 kilometres part of which are still standing. The majority of the oasis is in ruins but the structure and some of the houses still stand. As the fort was built with bricks made of mud and straw, erosion damaged the structure until rehabilitation efforts were launched. There are a lot of legends surrounding the castle.