Round tower
On the rock.
Safa.daneshvar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mohammad hajeer — CC BY 4.0 · User: (WT-shared) Shoestring at wts wikivoyage — Public domain · Andrew Moore — CC BY-SA 2.0
A fort on a rocky outcrop above the eastern end of Mutrah harbour, looking over the Gulf of Oman and the corniche. According to visitor guides the Portuguese built it in the 1580s, during their time in Oman, to guard the harbour, using the natural rock as its foundation so it seems to grow out of the mountain. The fort has a large round tower and crenellated walls that follow the edge of the rock. A stone stairway leads up, and the top gives a wide view over the harbour, traditional dhows, the curving corniche and Mutrah's white houses. The fort reopened to visitors after restoration, having spent many years in military use, and it is lit at night, appearing to float above the corniche. Check opening times and fees locally. The climb is exposed and steep, so early morning or the hour before sunset is best, with good shoes. It pairs easily with the nearby Mutrah Souq.
On the rock.
Dhows and corniche.
Lit above the corniche.
Eastern end of Mutrah harbour, Muscat
It reopened to visitors after restoration; check times and fees locally, and expect a steep climb.
