Travel Guide Bahla

The city of Bahla is one of the oldest cities in the Sultanate, dating back to around the3rd millennium B.C. It was once surrounded by a wall over 12 km long, pierced by 7 gates, of which several remains remain today. It is best known for its fort, one of the oldest and most imposing in the country, which, along with the entire old town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Apart from the fort, the village itself is well worth a visit, particularly for its souk, where livestock, spices, jewelry, carpets, khanjars (of the highest quality here)... are traded. This lively trading area is laid out around a square and its century-old jujube tree, in whose shade men love to palaver. The tree is said to protect the town from evil spirits, the djinns! Crossing the souk and following an alleyway up towards the old quarters, you come to the potters' area, for which Bahla has always been famous, thanks to the quality of the clay found in the surrounding area. There are still a few stalls where you can watch the craftsmen (exclusively men) at work, sometimes still on manual lathes. This is where two of Oman's most popular pots are made: the high-necked one for storing dates, and the round-bottomed one with a rope attached to the neck for storing water.