Bahla

Bahla (Arabic: بهلاء, romanized: Bahlāʿ) is a town, located 40 km away from Nizwa, and about 200 km from Oman's capital Muscat which lies in the Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate of Oman. It is notable as the home of one of the oldest fortresses in the country, the 13th-century Bahla Fort, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress and the town are enclosed by extensive remnants of a 12 km-long (7.5 mi) fortified wall. Most buildings are constructed of traditional mud brick, many of them are hundreds of years old. A short distance beyond Bahla lies the Castle of Jabreen, a massive three-story structure built during Al Ya'ruba dynasty in the mid-17th century. The castle is an example of Islamic architecture with wooden inscriptions and paintings on its ceilings.