Arabian Daze - 8

It's time to return to the Arab states, and enjoy more stories and photos from a tour through the U.A.E and Oman. The previous installments of this travel series are here:

One           Two            Three           Four          Five           Six               Seven

My friend and I had just finished a visit to a souq (market) in Nizwa, Oman. Our guide next took us to the most famous fort in the country -- Nizwa Fort. Guidebooks rank this is a "must see" in Oman. Built in 1650, it took approximately 12 years to complete. The highlight is the drum like tower, which measures 30 meters high and 36 meters across. Read more on the fort HERE. 

Please enjoy my photos from this massive complex.

Main entrance gate: 

Doorway with lantern:

Inside, a solitary lantern:

Outside, at the main drum-like tower:

A cannon overlooks the city:

View of Nizwa:

View from the top of the tower:

Spire:

Panorama view of Nizwa Fort, as seen from the drum tower, outside:

Unique window/ door handle and keyhole: 

                   

Lantern and inner walls: 

 

After the fort, it was getting quite hot and time for lunch. Food was not included in the tour, so we were free to choose our own place. We asked our guide to take us to a local restaurant. Here's the inside:

I ordered chicken, which came with much more food than I imagined! Below, my salad:

...saffron rice...

... and the chicken, which was tandoori style with fresh lime:

The food was excellent and far too much for one person. If you visit Nizwa Fort, just walk outside and cross the street, you'll find this stop tucked behind some souvenir shops. Good food, simple atmosphere. What more do you need? ^_^

A restaurant called: Restaurant. Brilliant!

There were several more stops on our 9-hour tour through Nizwa. I hope you'll come back for more. 

~ Information ~ 

Nizwa Fort information is HERE. Entrance fee: 1 Rial. Fort is open 9am ~ 4pm Saturday to Thursdays. Fridays, from 9am ~ 11am. 

General travel information about Oman is HERE. 

This Fort was part of the "Enchanting Forts of Nizwa" tour, available on Viator. Click HERE for details. The tour is run by a local agency called Orient Tours. Their website is HERE.