Khasab Castle

Khasab castle stands beside the harbour of the main Musandam town, a square fort with corner towers built by the Portuguese in the early seventeenth century when they held positions along this coast, and later taken and used by Omani forces. It was restored and opened as a regional museum, with the central round tower, rooms around the courtyard and displays covering the peninsula: reconstructed traditional houses including the summer and winter dwellings of Musandam villages, boats, fishing gear, and material on the Shihuh people of the mountains and the Kumzari of the far north. Dhow trips into the fjords leave from the harbour beside it.

Highlights

• The square fort - the Portuguese-era walls and corner towers.
• The central tower - the round keep in the courtyard.
• House reconstructions - the summer and winter dwellings of the peninsula.
• Boat displays - the traditional craft of the Musandam coast.

When to go

October to April; Musandam summers are extremely hot. The museum keeps daytime hours. Combine with a morning dhow trip into the fjords, which leaves from the adjacent harbour.

Good to know

The museum is small and takes an hour. Musandam is separated from the rest of Oman by Emirati territory, so reaching it means either a flight, a boat, or a road journey through the UAE with the border formalities that involves. Facilities in Khasab are limited.

Nearby

The Musandam fjords are offshore; Kumzar lies north by boat.