Al Mirani Fort

Al Mirani Fort rises on a rocky promontory on the western side of Muscat harbour in Old Muscat, Oman, opposite its twin, Al Jalali Fort. Both were built by the Portuguese in the 1580s, during the period when Portugal controlled Muscat after taking it in 1507, to defend the natural harbour and to protect trade routes linking the Gulf, India and East Africa. The Portuguese were driven out in 1650 by the Omani imam Sultan bin Saif al-Ya'rubi, and the fort passed into Omani hands, serving later as a garrison and defensive position for the ruling dynasties. The fort is a compact stone stronghold with thick walls, towers, gun platforms and stairways that follow the contour of the rock. After a restoration programme, Al Mirani reopened to visitors in 2025, which makes it the one of the two harbour forts that can now be explored rather than only photographed from outside. Visitors can walk the ramparts, see the cannon positions and look across the harbour towards Al Jalali Fort, Al Alam Palace and the Muscat waterfront. Interpretive displays introduce the fort's Portuguese origins, its role in the 1650 expulsion and its later use by Omani rulers. Admission is ticketed for foreign visitors and tickets are sold through the official ticketing page linked on the site, so opening hours and prices should be checked before going. The approach is by steps and sloping paths, and sections of the fort are uneven underfoot. The location, on Al Alam Street between the palace and the harbour, makes it easy to include in a walking tour of Old Muscat that also takes in the National Museum of Oman, Bait Al Zubair and the Omani French Museum. The harbour views from the walls are among the best in the old city, especially in the morning and at sunset, when the stone takes on a warm colour and the water in the cove is calm.