N for Nizwa Fort in Oman

The road leading to the Nizwa Fort

The cannons welcome you

Forts are the heart and soul around which a lot of history revolves around in Oman. Nizwa Fort located in the city of Nizwa about 160km from Muscat, Oman’s capital is one of the most visited national monuments in the country.

Nizwa Fort welcomes you

It was built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya’rubi sometime around the 1650s. He is known as the one who played a key role in removing the Portugese from Oman.

This fort took about 12 years to build and is another fantastic example of the Omani architecture and culture. The main cylindrical tower rises to about 3om giving a birds eye view of Nizwa city.

One of the numerous wells in the fort

The narrow staircases

The fort also includes a number of wells, prison grounds, narrow and twisted staircases, long corridors, cannons, prisons and more.

View from the top

The giant flagpole at the top

It was the perfect place to withstand the military challenges faced during the 1650s whether it was mortar fire or any kind of surprise attacks. There are also a number of openings in the fort which were meant to station the fighters.

The jewellery during those days

The fort also has a number of exhibits and artifacts which give quite a sneak peak into the eras gone by.

The souq is a perfect place for a quick bargain

And to top it all, a visit to the nearby souk is a must if you are looking for something ethnic and are ready for a bargain.

Linking to Microblog Mondays

Note: This experience is part of the 5 day trip organized for three bloggers by Ministry of Tourism, Oman & Indiblogger from 25th October to 30th October 2014.

I am participating in the A To Z Challenge for the second time this year and I am penning travelogues.