JH8V+W95, Muscat, Oman
Fort Al Mirani, formerly known as Admiral’s Fort or Captain’s Fort, is located in the harbor of old Muscat. Like the neighboring Jalali fortress, situated on a rocky slope, it dominates the coastline. These fortifications were created to protect the city of Muscat from enemy army invasions. The forts were part of the city’s defense system, which also included another fortress, Matara, and a series of watchtowers.
Like Fort Jalali, the Al Mirani fortress was built on the remains of a primitive Islamic fortification after the Portuguese conquest of Muscat in the early 16th century.
In August 1552, the Ottoman fleet under the command of Piri Reis and Seydi Ali Reis attacked Old Muscat. The Ottomans’ goal was to capture Muscat, and then the islands of Hormuz and Bahrain, to block Portuguese access to the Persian Gulf and thus restore Ottoman control over trade in the Indian Ocean. According to various sources, the Ottoman fleet consisted of 4 galleons, 25 galleys, and 850 soldiers, or, according to Diogo do Couto, the Ottomans had 15 galleys and 1200 soldiers. The Portuguese garrison consisted of 60 soldiers.
The recently built Portuguese Admiral’s Fort was besieged for 18 days. Since the Ottoman artillery could not destroy the fort’s fortifications, which were located high on the mountain, and lacking food and water, the fort’s garrison and its commander João de Lisboa agreed to surrender. The fort was captured and its fortifications destroyed. Legend has it that this happened because of a love story: the Portuguese commander fell in love with the daughter of an Indian supplier, who refused marriage for religious reasons. Facing ruin, the supplier supposedly spent a year preparing for the wedding, during which he convinced the commander that the fort’s supplies needed a complete renewal. Gradually, he removed all the gunpowder and grain from the fort, and when the fort was left completely defenseless, he gave the go-ahead to the Omani Imam Sultan bin Saif, who managed to recapture the fort in 1649. Shortly thereafter, the Portuguese were expelled from Muscat, and the wedding never took place.
Ultimately, the Turks managed to occupy and control the coasts of Yemen, Aden, and Arabia, which greatly facilitated their trade with India and blocked the Portuguese from further expansion into Arabia. Subsequent Ottoman attacks on Oman met with mixed success, but Istanbul failed to take Muscat into its hands. In 1556, during a storm, the Turkish army lost its fleet and with it the hope of capturing the city. Three Ottoman galleys again occupied Muscat in 1581. In 1588, the city was once again captured by the Portuguese.
After the city was captured by the army of the Sultan of Oman in 1650, the fort received its current name. It was restored, expanded, and strengthened. It took on the appearance that we see today.
To enhance the defensive capabilities of the Mirani fortress, an artillery platform was built here. Thus, the city of Muscat became practically impregnable from the sea.
Sources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Захват_Маската
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Mirani_Fort
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/oman/muscat/attractions/al-mirani-fort/a/poi-sig/451843/361117
