Qalhat, Muscat, Ash Sharqiyah Governorate, Oman
It is one of the most spectacular locations to be found along the coast stretching between Muscat and Sur, an area rich in history and heritage sites.
Qalhat city dates back to pre-Islamic times. The port city on Oman’s Indian Ocean coast was once a key hub for trade in goods including Arabian horses to Chinese porcelain, according to the Omani submission. The case of Qalhat also demonstrates the power women could hold in Arabian society at the time.
“In the 13th century… the governor Ayaz split his presence between Hormuz and Qalhat, which in his absence was ruled by his wife Maryam,” the submission reads.
“She, Bibi Maryam, is said to have built the Great Friday Mosque and a mausoleum for her late husband. She continued ruling after her husband’s death until at least 1319.”
The site, which is located on the east coast of Oman, includes the ancient city of Qalhat, surrounded by inner and outer walls, as well as areas beyond the ramparts where necropolises are located. The city developed as a major port on the east coast of Arabia between the 11th and 15th centuries CE, during the reign of the Hormuz princes. Today, it bears unique archaeological testimony to the trade links between the east coast of Arabia, East Africa, India, China and Southeast Asia.
Epic Oman Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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