UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Oman

Bahla Fort

Bahla Fort is a fascinating structure of walls and towers built of mud brick laid on stone foundations. The adjacent Friday Mosque has uniquely decorated sculpted Mihrab-prayer niche. The monument is a historical fortress situated in Djebel Akhdar highlands located in the Omani deserts. The Banu Nabhan tribe, Nabahina constructed the fort and settlement in the 12th century making Bahla their capital until the 15th century. With Bahla as the capital, and the community dominating Central Omani, the people established connections with more tribal groups in the interior. The capital city became the center of a branch of Islam called Idadism, where the Omani Imamates lived. The great sur-wall had sentry walks, numerous watchtowers all around the labyrinth mud fortress, cultivated lands, and several gateways. The oasis was watered by wells and underground channels using the Falaj system. Bahla Fort is an outstanding monument of a fortified oasis settlement dating back to the medieval Islamic era, which used the falaj system for domestic and agricultural purposes. The fortress symbolizes the influence of ruling elite. UNESCO declared this fort as a cultural world heritage site in 1987. The Omani Law for National Heritage Protection protects the site. Management plans concentrate on maintaining the site integrity through long-term care and conserving the monuments, spatial and structural forms of the property.

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