Nizwa Fort (Oman): visit tips + photos

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Why visit the Nizwa Fort in Oman? Facts & Figures

The Nizwa fort is one of the most famous forts to visit in Oman.
It is actually a combination of a castle and a fort (the Tower only).
A place not to be missed on your Oman itinerary !

The Fort

• The Fort was built at the beginning of the 17th century by the Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Yarubi. It took approximately 12 years to complete.
• The tower has a 45m diameter and reached 34 meters in height. Its foundations extend 30m underground. (which is what was displayed at the fort, but the Lonely Planet and the Oman tourism website have different dimensions...)
• The platform of the tower is accessed via a narrow staircase (60 steps). At each turn, 10cm thick wooden doors.

The Castle

• Originally built in the 9th century and renewed in 1624.
• It contained rooms for the Imam, his family, his guests and the royal guards. Those rooms are decorated and used to display artefacts.
• There was also a kitchen, coffee-making room and a date store which you can see

Below is a representation of the Tower and surrounding castle:

Inside the castle, you can also find a 3D miniature version of the area:

One room also has photos of the restoration. 
Both the Castle and the Fort have been restored using traditional methods and materials. It was quite interesting to see the before and after.

How to get to Nizwa - Map & location

• Inland from Muscat,
• Muscat to Nizwa = 1h30 drive
• Sur to Nizwa = 3h15 drive
• Below is a map to give you an idea of where Nizwa is:

This location is included (with GPS coordinates, map of region and planning info) in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Oman road trip:

Visit Tips

• Nizwa Fort Opening Hours: from 8am to 6pm, except on Fridays when it closes between 11:30 and 1:30.
• Nizwa Fort Entree fee = 5 OMR
• Check latest hours and fee on the Oman tourism website
• Toilets available inside the castle
• Easy to explore most fo the castle
• 60 steps to the center of the Tower and then 40 steps to each of the 3 viewpoints - the view is worth the climb
• Great visit to combine with the Nizwa Souq
• Nizwa is a great base, a central location to visit many highlights of the area such as Jebel Akdhar, Misfat Al Abriyeen, the Bahla Fort...

At the entrance of the fort, you can also find a map with the various rooms you can visit:

• Exhibition Halls
• Date Store
• Armoury
• Ablution Room
• Courtyard...

The Nizwa Castle structure

I really enjoyed walking around the castle and climbing on walls. The lines and level are all different and creating interesting geometrical visuals. This is parly why it made it on my list of top 10 things to do in Oman.

Don't miss climbing on those walks (being careful) to see the ruins of old houses left around the fort.

The exhibits inside the Nizwa museum

Inside the castle are many exhibits to present the traditional way of living in Oman. The displays were nice and written in Arabic and English.
It is a simple museum, and I liked it because it does not overwhelm you with information.

Below are a few shots of things you can see in the museum:

• Traditional Masks

• Jewellery

• Frankincense

• Coffee making

• Date Store - untaouched during the restoration process, was still in use during the 20th century

• Living quarters

Second level

Next to the tower you can enter and see some decorated and nondecorated rooms. You can also climb stairs to a terrace level where you get another view of these geometrical superpositions.

Climbing the Nizwa Fort Tower

It’s worth climbing to the platform of the tower and then to each of the viewpoints. From there you can see the oasis and th Hajar Mountains.  
Don't forget to look at the thick door and traps to stop attacks on the fort.

And if you want to know more about the fort's protection system, check out the post by Man on the Lam with a drawing of how murder holes worked.

Views from the Tower

When you reach the platform, you see 3 set of stairs at one third of the perimeter. You can also admire cannons if you are into firearms. I preferred the views.

This view is the other reason why the Nizwa Fort made it on my list of top 10 things to do in Oman.

Want to see more of Oman's beauty?