Sunday, July 14, 2013

Oman - Bahla Fort, UNESCO


Bahla fort was built before Islam and enlisted in UNESCO
2013

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Bahla Fort is one of four historic fortresses situated at the foot of the Djebel Akhdar highlands in Oman. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The fort's ruined adobe walls and towers rise some 165 feet above its sandstone foundations.

The fort was not restored or conserved before 1987, and had fallen into a parlous state, with parts of the walls collapsing each year in the rainy season.

The fort became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was included in the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1988. Restoration works began in the 1990s, and nearly $9m were spent by the Omani government from 1993 to 1999. It remained covered with scaffolding and closed to tourists for many years. (As seen in the postcard above) It was removed from the list of endangered sites in 2004.  The fort of Bahla has been semi-reopened to the public in September 2012.

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