Bahla Fort is the oldest and one of the largest forts in Oman, located in the city of Bahla, on the eastern edge of the Bahla oasis, at the foot of the Jebel Akhdar highlands. Some scholars suggest that a fort existed at this site even before the Islamic Empire. However, most of the fort's structures date back to the 13th-14th centuries — the period of the Nabhanid dynasty's rule in Oman. It was the Banu Nabhan tribe to whom the Bahla oasis owed its prosperity — from the 12th to the 15th century, Bahla was the capital of Oman, and the ruler's residence was located within the fort. The enormous fort, with powerful defensive walls and 50-meter round towers made of adobe (a mixture of clay and straw) bricks, was built on a stone foundation. The fortress wall, with numerous watchtowers, surrounded the entire oasis, stretching about 12 kilometers in length, 5 meters in height, and wide enough to ride a horse along its top. Entrance to the fort was through seven gates, the main ones being Badi, Sayli, Sabah Salim, Al-Batha, and Al-Harzaban gates. Inside the fort were the ruler's house, administrative halls, residential clay houses, a covered market with single-story shops, craft workshops, baths, a prison, barracks, seven wells, and irrigation facilities. To the south of the fort stood the Great Friday Mosque, on the ruins of which archaeologists discovered remains of a minaret made of tiles and fired bricks, more than 200 silver coins — including rare coins minted during the reign of Imam Al-Khalil bin Shatan — as well as a well-preserved mihrab decorated with sculpted gypsum plaster.
UNESCO experts, who included Bahla Fort in the World Heritage list, call it a unique example of a fortified oasis settlement and the oldest citadel in Oman. The fort’s walls, built from sun-dried bricks, stretch for 12 km, featuring 15 gates and more than a hundred towers.
There are several legends surrounding its construction. Long ago in Oman, in a small village at the foot of the mountains, lived two sisters — Marta and Gaita. Both were stunningly beautiful and possessed unique gifts from childhood. Magic flowed in their veins, and their hearts were full of kindness. One day, the village was attacked by warriors from a neighboring kingdom. Fear gripped the villagers, and it seemed that the newly built houses and fields would be destroyed in the chaos of war. Seeing the suffering of their neighbors, Marta and Gaita decided to use their gift to help the village and went to the mountains where powerful jinn lived.
At the top of one of the mountains, the sisters prayed to the spirits for protection for their village. The jinn, hearing their kind hearts and noble intentions, answered their plea. Marta and Gaita received magical powers from the jinn that allowed them to create a fortress that would not only be impregnable to enemies but also a symbol of peace and unity. The sisters returned to their village and, with the magic granted by the jinn, transformed clay and stone into a magnificent fortress that amazed all who saw it. The walls were adorned with exquisite carvings, and the towers rose proudly and colorfully to the skies.
Another legend says: In ancient times, when the construction of Bahla Fort began, the builders faced a mysterious phenomenon: every night, part of the built walls would collapse. No matter how diligently they worked, each morning they found new and new destructions. The builders despaired and realized they could not complete the fort’s construction; something had to be done.
One of the locals, an old sage, proposed an unusual solution. He claimed that the land on which the fort was being built had its own spirits that needed to be appeased, and for that, a sacrifice was required.
The next morning, the builders were surprised to find that the sage had already prepared an altar in the center of the construction site. The sage performed complex rituals and prepared a special rooster, which he called "magical." With the enthusiastic crowing of roosters, according to the legend, the sage conducted a sacrifice ritual, and the fort ceased to suffer destruction. From that moment, construction continued without any hindrance, and Bahla Fort became a fortress standing unshakably in its place.
Another legend tells that inside the walls of Bahla Fort lies a treasure guarded by an ancient spirit. Whoever can navigate the labyrinth of its corridors and evade the guards will be rewarded with wealth and wisdom.
Historians assert that this complex of structures was built over several centuries — up to and including the 14th century.
In 1987, Bahla Fort was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as an "outstanding example of a fortified oasis settlement of the medieval Islamic period." At the time of its inclusion on the UNESCO list, the fort was in a semi-ruined state. After extensive restoration, Bahla Fort was opened to visitors in 2012.
