Bahla

Bahla
Town
Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in restoration
Bahla Location in Oman
Coordinates: 22°58′4.8″N 57°17′52.8″E / 22.968000°N 57.298000°E / 22.968000; 57.298000
Country	Oman
Region	Ad Dakhiliyah Region
Population
• Total	85,000
Time zone	+4 (UTC+4)

Bahla (Arabic: بهلا‎‎) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site town, located 40 km away from Nizwa, and about 200 km from Oman's capital Muscat which lies in the Ad Dakhiliyah region of Oman. It is notable as the home of one of the oldest fortress in the country, the 13th century Bahla Fort and the town's pottery.

The fortress and the town are enclosed by extensive remnants of a 12-km long fortified wall. Most buildings are constructed of traditional mud brick, many of them are hundreds of years old. The site is undergoing reconstruction sponsored UNESCO.

A short distance beyond Bahla lies the of Jabreen, a massive three-story structure built during Al Ya'ruba dynasty in the mid of 17th century. The castle is a fine example of Islamic architecture with beautiful wooden inscriptions, and paintings on its ceilings. Bahla is also famous for black magic .

Bahla pottery is famous throughout Oman although traditional methods of making it appear to be dying. The clay used comes from the wadi (river bed). Men trample on this to make the clay pliable so it can be worked on. After the object is finished, it is placed in a kiln to be fired.

Coordinates: 22°58′05″N 57°17′53″E / 22.968°N 57.298°E / 22.968; 57.298