1. A presentation by Ahmad Tariq Bhatti Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2. Introduction Musandam is tourists site that offers diving, fishing, snorkeling , dolphin watching and camping sites. It has been a famous trade rout between Middle East and Africa for thousand of years. The oldest recorded reference in the history is given in the times of Alexander the great in 323 BC. A fleet of his ships sailed from Indus, rounded Musandam to Babylon, where he was waiting for them. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Nearchus. Alexander wanted to conquer both sides of the Gulf but his sudden death stopped him from doing so. Archeological excavations have given clues of Sassanian presence in 4th to 6th centuries AD. Since Musandam had been part of Hormuz and in 10th century AD, Hormuz was under the control of Baghdad Caliphate. Therefore, it is inferred that Musandam had been under their control as well. Oman got independence from the Portuguese in 1650 under the leadership of Imams of Yaruba Dynasty. It was a time when Oman was recognized as the greatest naval force in Indian Ocean. 3. Lime stone mountains 4. Sitting arrangements in a dhow 5. Lime stone mountains 6. Seagulls 7. Watching dolphins !!! Ummm!!! 8. MUSANDAM 9. About the Castle The present castle was built by Portuguese Navy in the beginning of 17th century AD. It is said that there was a fort at the same place before the present one was built by them. The previous fort was used to protect the valley and sea route from any aggression. Portuguese had plans for controlling the strait of Hormuz from this castle. Their plans failed when they could not recapture Hormuz in 1624. In 1650 , Oman was freed from Portuguese and the castle was renovated by Omani Rulers in accordance with their military requirements. The castle was used as a residence for Wali of Oman for centuries and also used for keeping prisoners there. The castle has been transformed into a regional museum. The museum exhibits artifacts that provide information about, history rock-art, geology, wild-life, architecture, sociology of Musandam. 10. Boats are important part of the culture of Oman. 11. Khasab Castle, appeared on the pages of history, when Admiral Ruy Freire da Andrade of Portuguese Navy used this fort as a base in the attempt to recapture Hormuz in 1624. The attempt was failed.