Like its sister fort, Al Mirani is inaccessible to the public and can only be viewed from the outside. However, its presence—complemented by the almost mirror-image Al Jalali that faces it—brings notable symmetry to Old Muscat’s harbor, with a fort crowning each of its two promontories.
Al Mirani is a fixture on all Muscat tours. Most include photo ops at Old Muscat’s harborfront to see Al Mirani and Al Jalali, and the Al Alam Palace, also overlooking the bay. Other ways to see Al Mirani include boat trips that sail past the bay; hop-on hop-off bus tours, and evening tours that showcase the harborside when both forts are beautifully illuminated by floodlights. It may also be possible to see the harbor on a Muscat day trip from Dubai.
The easiest way to visit Al Mirani is on a Muscat tour that covers the sights of Old Muscat and includes hotel pickup and drop-off. The nearest bus stop is at Old Muscat’s Al Alam Palace roundabout, about a 10-minute walk away. If you’re driving, follow Old Muscat’s Bab Al Muthaib Street to Al Mirani, where parking spaces sit directly below the fortifications.
You can admire Al Mirani anytime you wish, 365 days a year. The harborside below the fort can get busy with tour groups—but they usually disperse quickly. For the most striking views, come at sundown, when the fading sun casts a fiery light over the harbor. The fort is floodlit at night, which promises some spectacular photos.
Legend has it that Al Mirani was key to the ousting of Oman’s Portuguese occupiers in the 17th century. When a Portuguese commander wanted to marry the daughter of a local supplier, the latter pretended to agree while secretly removing all the fort’s gunpowder and then signalling this to Oman’s sultan. The sultan duly struck, prompting the departure of the Portuguese soon after.