postmarked in 2013 with two stamps from the Sultanate of Oman
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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.
Oman (Sultanate of Oman) stamps 2001
Traditional Omani dagger
Al-Khanjar A'Suri, 50 and 100 Baisa
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The khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman. The khanjar is curved and sharpened on both edges. It is carried in a sheath decorated in silver, on a belt similarly decorated in silver filigree. A khanjar appears on the flag of Oman, as part of the national emblem of Oman.
There are many uses of the khanjar. It is a symbolic weapon, worn by men after puberty. Nowadays, it is used as a type of formal dress item.
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