5 Best Sights in Oman

The town of Bahla, 35 minutes from Nizwa, is brimming with historic and cultural sights, but it is most famous for its fort, one of the oldest in Oman. Built by the Banu Hebhan tribe in the 13th century, the fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Banu Nebhan, who ruled during the medieval Islamic period, built the fort adjacent to the Friday mosque, and its falaj irrigation system has remained surprisingly well intact, but damage from flooding rains and threats of modernization landed it on the Heritage "in danger" list in the late 1980s, prompting preservation efforts. There is not much in the way of documentation at the fort, so you may want to learn about the style of construction by visiting the restored fort in Nizwa before you head to Bahla. Once inside, the building is a total labyrinth, with plenty of hidden details and rooms to explore, but take care to keep going in one direction to avoid getting lost.

An hour south of Bidiyah, the quiet town of Bilad Bani Bu Ali is a tourist destination in its own right, drawing visitors for its watchtowers, old fortified houses, forts, and ancient city walls. The town is filled with charming homes decorated with intricate tilework, colorful metal-work, and carved wood doors. The most interesting of the ancient abandoned structures in town is the Jami al-Hamoda Mosque, notable because of its unusual construction featuring separate 52 domes and a falaj (water channel) that was once used for ablutions. To find the old mosque, head for the fort and make your first left after passing it. From here, you will need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get through the quarter-mile of sand that separates the paved road from the mosque, which will be on the left. If nothing else, the scenic drive is a bit of an adventure.

Just over a half hour from Nizwa, the ancient city of Bahla has several interesting historic sites to see and folklore to explore, beginning with the 13-km-long (8-mile), 132-watchtower-lined wall surrounding the town. The wall's murky history has given rise to many legends, including one that states the wall was built in one night by jinn (ghosts) and another other purporting that it was built entirely by women of the town. A more likely explanation is that the Banu Nebhan built the walls to protect the oasis, which served as their capital for more than 300 years, from the 12th through 15th centuries.

Commissioned by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, the Royal Opera House is a contemporary masterpiece of Omani design and architecture, marrying traditional elements with clean, sophisticated, modern lines. The performances are likewise a lively blend of traditional local music and performance and world-class touring operas, ballets, and concerts. It is well worth spending an evening taking in a performance. You can also wander the hall on your own or as part of a house tour from 8:30 am to 10 am during the week or stop by one of the informative Saturday open house presentations. The schedule for tours varies dramatically by season, so be sure to call ahead.