Bahla is an ancient oasis in the Dakhiliya region of Oman that was famous for it's fertility and it's pottery. The entire oasis was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987, making it the first such site in Oman
The oasis is surrounded by a fortified wall that is over 12km long and wide enough for a man to ride a horse on, which included towers and rooms for soldiers. Some scholars believe that the wall actually predates the Islamic empire. The wall once enclosed 18 villages and had seven main gates. The original names of some of these gates are known: Badi, Sayli, Sabah Salim, Al-Bat-ha' and Al-Kharzaban.