Nizwa Fort

Nizwa was long the religious and scholarly heart of inland Oman, and its fort shows why it needed defending. Built in the 1650s, its massive round tower was designed to withstand cannon, with false doors, hidden pits and slots for pouring boiling date syrup on attackers, and a view over a sea of date palms.

Inside, restored rooms explain Omani family life, the falaj irrigation channels and the imams who ruled from here. Next door, the souq is the place for clay pots, silver, dates and halwa, and on Friday mornings a lively livestock auction fills the square.

Nizwa is about one and a half hours from Muscat. Arrive early, before the heat builds, and combine it with Bahla Fort or the drive up to Jebel Akhdar.