Item Code: 165/om-2
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Year
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2007
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Obverse
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Sultan Qaboos; Bahla Fort
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Reverse
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Nakhl Fort; Al-Hazm
Fort
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Size
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135 x 64 mm
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Watermark
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Sultan Qaboos
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Obverse description
Bahla
Fort
Bahla Fort (قلعة بهلاء) is one of the oldest and biggest forts in
Oman, and the only fort in the country to be
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Official statements say that the oldest parts of the fort were built as early
as the year 500 BC. Bahla Fort is located in Bahla and is less than two hours away by car from Muscat.
Balha Fort was inscribed to the UNESCO
World Heritage List in the year 1987. The fort was restored a number of
times over history as the Nabhani Tribe restored
it in the 13th century, the Yarubi Tribe restored
in the 17th century, and the Busaidi Tribe restored
it again in the 19th century. The fort was in a very bad situation in the
second half of the last century, and the Omani
government decided to start a serious restoration of project of it in
the year 1988 which only finished in May 2012.
Bahla Fort was open to the public through a soft opening
program around the end of the year 2012, but there are still no exhibits
displayed in the fort at the moment and no proper labels or descriptions can be
seen in the castle. These will be added probably when the fort is
officially inaugurated.There are no details on when the official opening
would take place.
Bahla fort is massive and includes many towers, mosques,
and wells. The oldest part of the fort is located on the left side of the fort
and is called Al Qabasah which is a
five-story collection of rooms. The compound of the fort is massive and can
easily take two or three hours to see if you want to examine each and every
room.
Reverse description
Nakhal Fort
Nakhal Fort (Arabic: قلعة نخل) is a large fortification in the Al Batinah Region of Oman. It is named after the Wilayah of Nakhal. The fort houses a museum, operated by
the Ministry of Tourism, which has exhibits of historic guns, and the fort also
hosts a weekly goat market.
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Archway
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The
fort, also known as Husn Al Heem, was named after the state of Nakhal where
it exists above the old village of Nakhl. It has a
history which dates back to the pre-Islamic period. Over the centuries, it
underwent many renovations and improvements. It was re-built by Omani
architects in the 17th century. Built as a protective measure for an area oasis and nearby trade routes, it passes through the regional
capital of Nizwa.
The gateway and towers seen now were extensions built in 1834 attributed to imam Said bin Sultan. In 1990, it was fully renovated. Imams of Wadi Bani Kharous and the Ya'arubah dynasty resided here in the past. In November 2003, Prince
Charles visited
the restored fort during an official visit to Oman
Overview: The fort is
approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) to the west of Muscat,
the capital of Oman, at the entrance of Wilayt Nakhal in Wadi Ar Raqeem. It is situated
on a rocky prominence at the foot of Jebel
Nakhal, a spur of the
main Western Hajar range. It is to the northeast of Jabal Akhdar also called Green
Mountain. Nakhal Fort is
surrounded by orchards of palm trees. Its battlements provide a view of the Al-Batinah Region. The ancient Nakhal village is
below the fort and close by is the warm springs of Ain A'Thawwarah. Nakhal Fort is
one of several fortifications in the Al
Batinah Region, the others being Al Hazim,
Al-Sifalah, Rustaq, and Shinas forts.
Built
in the architectural style of the Sultanate
of Oman, it is unique in that it was built
to fit around an irregularly-shaped rock, with
some rock exposures jutting out into the interiors. The fort houses a museum, operated by the Ministry of Tourism
with exhibits of historic guns. A
weekly Friday goat auction market takes place within the precincts of the fort. During recent renovations the fort has
been fitted with traditional furniture, handicrafts and historic artifacts.
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