ABSTRACT
Fort Mirani is built into the side of the mountain on the western side of the harbour and is one of the finest forts in Oman. It was built late in the sixteenth century by the Portuguese, the date of completion being given in an inscription over the inner gateway. Except for a brief period in 1743-4, when it was occupied by the Persians, Fort Mirani has been in Omani hands ever since. It is hardly surprising that one of the first acts of Sultan Qaboos bin Said when he came to power in 1970 was to free all but a few prisoners from the fort, a symbolic action much appreciated by the people of Oman. Some of the houses are incorporated into the Khoja walled city within a city. Historically a branch of the Shi'ites, the occupants are now Omani citizens and among them are numbered many of Oman's foremost merchants.
