Muscat: Forts and Palaces

Abu Dhabi has preserved only one of its forts -- and that fort is barely preserved (as our friends, visiting from Chicago, can attest....we scrambled through construction to take a look at a few of its exposed walls).

Does this story grow old? Yes, Oman has forts. And they are gorgeous, and huge, and interesting, and exquisitely preserved.

They make for crazy silhouettes on the city's wonderfully dramatic cliffs.

Some, the Portuguese built. Others, are Omani. Which, you ask? We wouldn't know. The only real fault we managed to find with Muscat is the impossibility of visiting even one of its many forts. But in a city with friendly locals and wide-open beaches....

...souqs that are distinctly different from malls....

...menus full of items like "shrimp cheese burgers"...

 ....real theater, varied and beautiful mosques....

...where even our hotel managed to be an interesting architectural space, without boasting giant chandeliers, too much glass, or ridiculous staff uniforms...

....we really, really aren't going to start complaining.

We'll just stand outside and smile.

Red Fort & Karim's

Shah Jehan relocated to Delhi in 1638. Of course, he needed another red fort. And of course, it needed to be bigger and better than Agra's red fort.... and magically, took only nine years to build.   

Unfortunately, not much of the fort is left -- after the 1857 rebellion, the British nearly leveled the complex. Partial pieces remain. The wall outside, and the massive gate.

A well. The hall of audience, with its gorgeous archways.

The ground reminds visitors where things must've been -- that there were fountains, canals, gardens. Just outside it, Shah Jehan's daughter designed Chandi Chowk, a massive market and garden with canals that glowed in the moonlight. Things from all over the world were displayed there: dancers, exotic animals, spices, and so on. 

No remnants of canals remain. The market is still bursting with things from all over the world. As our friends say enthusiastically, "you can buy anything here."

And that includes the best buttery dal ever made, at Karim's, one of the oldest restaurants in Delhi.... 

...a restaurant with which it is impossible to find fault. 

Agra Fort

Food is not allowed at Agra Fort, for fear that monkeys will congregate. Monkeys still congregate, but they concentrate on the entrance, where food is confiscated. This monkey is about to make off with some chips -- a feat of athleticism that stopped the crowd in amazement.

The rest of the fort is pretty amazing, too.

Shah Jehan spent his last few years here, locked up after his (least favorite) son took charge. He could see the Taj Mehal in the distance....

...wander through beautiful white marble rooms....

                               

....and gaze at the blue sky, framed by the red of his wonderful fort.

We don't know how he felt about it, but for us, Agra Fort is heart-wrenchingly beautiful.