Left fort

Perched on a rocky hill the larger of the 2 Portuguese forts overlooking the Royal Palace in the centre of the bay is Al Mirani Fort, which features in many 19th C lithographs of romantic naval engagements..
Also known as Al Gharbiya Fort, Al Mirani protects the western approaches to the palace. The story goes that the Portuguese commander fell in love with the daughter of a Hindu merchant who supplied the garrison. This man was opposed to the match on religious grounds and was consequently threatened with Portuguese diplomacy. So he spent the next year preparing for the wedding, for which he persuaded the fort Commander to restock all the fort's supplies with fresh produce. Having removed the gunpowder and food in 1649, and before he had a chance to replace them,his chum, Sultan bin Saif retook the defenseless fort. And so the wedding did not eventuate and shortly afterwards the Portuguese left.
Its still garrisoned so not open to the public.En savoir plus