Oman and Zanzibar Virtual Museum

In Oman a large variety of cannons can be found in and around the many forts in the country. They typically originate from Portugal, Spain; Persia and Britain. A good selection can e.g. be found in the Fort Al Hazm and Nizwa fort.

The Dutch VOC representative Padtbrugge who visited Muscat in 1673 writes: Cannon balls are normally made from cast iron. Dutch visitors representing the VOC visited Muscat during the seventeenth century and reported that the Omani were unable to cast iron and that their cannonballs were made by a blacksmith!