Prince Harry jokingly challenges onlookers to a sword fight at Omani fort Harry made the joke after being handed a traditional Omani sword and quipped: 'So where are the Press?' Came during a visit to the historic 15th century Nizwa Fort in the Ad Dakhiliyah region of Oman Also laughingly squared up to traditional dancer, Mohammed Moussa, 60 - much to the delight of locals Prince Harry is currently on a three-day visit to Oman and will travel on to Abu Dhabi on Thursday By Rebecca English In Oman For Mailonline Prince Harry handled a traditional Omani sword with worrying ease and joked: 'So where are the press?' during a visit to the historic Nizwa Fort in Oman's Ad Dakhiliyah region today. The fourth in line to the throne was in the court yard of the Fort, which one of Oman's oldest buildings, when he was handed the weapon and a cone-shaped shield as he watched local dancers. The men were performing a razha, a sword dance, and Harry couldn't resist giving it a go himself, squaring up to one of the men, a 60-year-old named named Mohammed Moussa. Now where's the press? Prince Harry jokingly squares up to traditional dancer Mohammed Moussa, 60, much to the delight of locals En garde! Harry is shown how the razha dance is done by Mr Moussa while waving his three-foot-long sword He laughed as he waved the three-foot-long sword menacingly and jousted for a few seconds before reluctantly handing the weapon back. 'This is mad,' he joked. The Prince, who is a serving officer in the Household Cavalry, is no stranger to swords, of course, and owns one as part of his ceremonial uniform. Speaking after Harry's first attempt at the sword dance, tour guide Yayha Al Azri said: 'He's a fast learner, but because it's his first time, he needs to get used to it. It was a little bit difficult for him at the beginning. His father, Prince Charles, also gamely took part in similar ceremony when he visited the same Fort on an official tour of Oman last year. He is understood to have pre-warned his son that might be asked to join in. On arriving at the Fort, Harry, who is currently on a three-day visit to Oman, was greeted by tourism ministers. As he looked up at the historic sand-coloured building he was heard to remark 'amazing'. He was then ushered into a trinkets shop owned by Ahmed bin Sayed Sulimani. Entertaining: Locals looked delighted when Harry decided to show off his fencing skills and joked about the Press Good job! Harry had been warned by Prince Charles that he might be asked to take part in a sword dance Joking (hopefully): After being handed the formidable looking sword, he quipped: 'Now where's the Press?' He showed Harry a rifle and the prince, a keen hunter, chatted knowledgeably about the weapon. The royal visitor was then handed a traditional dagger - called a saide - with a handle they said was made out of giraffe horn and worth almost £20,000. 'Amazing,' the prince gasped, again. After a short walk through a bustling souq crammed with spice, household goods and rugs, he entered the Fort's main courtyard. A group of colourfully-dressed schoolchildren were waiting for the prince with gifts of perfume and flowers. In fact, just minutes earlier, there had been two bouquets of roses and lilies waiting - one for Harry and one for his wife. When the teachers realised that there was, in fact, no Mrs Wales, it was hurriedly hidden around the corner. Harry was, however, unaware of the kerfuffle and looked delighted as he accepted the gifts. Teacher Jalila Al Sabahi said afterwards: 'There were two flowers, one for him and one for his wife. Only he has no wife. So we just gave him one. The children though the princess was coming too. Good humoured: Harry appeared to enjoy his tour of the beautiful 15th century Nizwa Fort Good look: The prince wielded the sword and tiny accompanying shield like a natural Ceremonial: Harry is no stranger to swords and has one himself as part of his Blues and Royals uniform That's how you do it: Harry is given a few pointers by the group of traditional sword dancers All smiles: Harry is currently on a three-day tour of Oman and will travel on to Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday A local official added: 'They thought it would be like Charles and Camilla when they visited here last year.' Reddening slightly in the searing heat, Harry then toured a variety of market stalls, watching women making local delicacies on open cooking stoves including a type of flat bread called raqaq, which he happily sampled. He also chatted with female weavers and was given a tissue box holder and a variety of brightly-coloured wallets and samplers. As he left he signed a visitors book thanking them for their hospitality and saying: Thank you for an amazing visit. There is never enough time to see everything, for that I am sorry! The whole place is beautiful. Best wishes. The sand-coloured fortress was built in the late 1650s by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'rubi, although its underlying structure dates back to the 12th Century. Traditional: The dance, which is called a razha, is an Omani folk tradition and is performed to welcome important guests Having fun: The traditional dance is also performed on major public holidays such as Eid al-Adha Amused: Prince Charles and Camilla visited Oman in 2013 and were also greeted by sword dancers at the Nizwa Fort It is Oman's most visited national monument and a reminder of Nizwa's significant role during some of the more turbulent periods in Oman's long history. It proved a formidable stronghold against raiding forces that desired Nizwa's abundant natural wealth and its strategic location at the crossroads of vital routes. As Harry entered the fort his guide pointed out its five 'murder holes' at the top of the entrance. Each is a slit through which those defending the fort would pour boiling date syrup on intruders followed by any heavy object within reach. Harry also enjoyed a guided tour around the historic ramparts of the Fort itself, which offer stunning views of Nizwa and the surrounding mountains. The prince is currently on a three day visit to the desert kingdom at the personal invitation of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said and had been due to attend a National Day celebration today in his honour. Unfortunately the Omani leader - who trained at Sandhurst and is a massive Anglophile - is currently receiving medical treatment in Germany for an undisclosed illness, meaning the parade will now no longer take place. Tour: After the sword dance, Harry toured the compound and met traders in the local souk Arsenal: He also had a close look at some of the elaborately decorated weapons on display Expensive: Harry got a shock when told the price of this £20,000 dagger, which boasts elaborate engraving and giraffe horn inset According to Kensington Palace, The Diwan - the Royal Court - in Oman - was still keen for the royal visit to take place, however, and Harry is continuing with his planned itinerary. A spokesman said: 'The Prince is travelling to Oman at the personal invitation of His. Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. The visit reflects the close personal and respectful relationship that exists between The Royal Families of both countries. 'Despite The Sultan's unavailability to personally host Prince Harry on this occasion, both parties were keen that the visit still takes place given the direct and personal nature of the invitation.' The aide added: 'It will be an opportunity for a Prince Harry to see and experience the country for the first time following recent successful and enjoyable visits by other members of his family.' Adorable: Harry was surrounded by a group of local school children who had gifts of perfume and flowers for him Drama: The children had brought a bouquet for Harry's wife too but quickly hid it when they realised there is no Mrs Wales Cute: The children were dressed in traditional costume and all waved the Omani national flag These include the Queen and Prince Philip in 2010 and Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall just last year. The prince flew in on an overnight scheduled flight, which was paid for by the Sultanate, and was greeted by His Highness Sayyid Haithem Bin Tariq Al Said, the Sultan of Oman's first cousin and the Omani Patron of the Omani-British Friendship Association. The two men posed for a brief photocall in typical Middle Eastern style, sitting on two chairs in an elaborately decorated lounge underneath the sword and dagger symbol of the Omani Sultanate. Harry told his Royal host: 'I send best wishes from Her Majesty. She is very well. He was then offered coffee and a traditional sweet treat with almonds known as halwa. The prince left accompanied by his Scotland Yard police protection officers and Omani bodyguards wearing the traditional khan jer - dagger - in their belts. Later today Harry will also visit the traditionally chaotic Muttrah Souq in Muscat for a little tourist shopping - and demonstrate whether, like so many royals, he choses not to carry his own money. Delighted: Harry beamed as one gorgeously dressed little girl approached with a gift for him Tomorrow the prince will be taken to the stunning Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat where he will be shown around by a member of the Diwan Higher Centre for Culture and Science. The mosque was a gift to the nation by the Sultan to mark the 30th year of his reign and can accommodate a staggering 20,000 worshippers, including 750 women in a private musalla or prayer hall. The prince will then fly to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where he will play in the Sentebale Polo Cup at Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. Afterwards Harry will attend a fundraising dinner and give a speech. The match is in aid of the charity he set up in 2006 in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, following a gap year visit to Lesotho. The name Sentebale means 'forget me not' in the local dialect, Basotho. Lesotho is a tiny, poverty-stricken kingdom in southern Africa with one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world. Stunning: The Fort is backdropped by mountains and is one of Oman's most historic sites Next stop: On Thursday, Harry will travel on to Abu Dhabi for a charity polo match and Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix Sentebale supports the many thousands of children affected by the AIDS epidemic both directly and though losing their families to the disease. Life expectancy for men and women in the kingdom is just 41 years, one in three children are orphans and there are believed to be more than 40,000 adolescents living with HIV. The Sentebale Cup, which is in its fifth year, is helping to support the Mamohato Programme, which address the emotional and psychological needs of children living with HIV as well as working to reduce the stigma linked to the disease and helping to markedly improve their quality of life. Harry, who plans to make a visit to some of the charity's projects in Lesotho next June, has said he hopes to expand its work to other countries in Africa. It is understood that Harry plans to stay on in Abu Dhabi privately after the official elements of the trip have concluded on Thursday to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, which is on this weekend. For more details on the Sentebale Cup see www.sentebale.org