Qalhat, a Medieval Port City of Oman: From a Field of Ruins to UNESCO

Although it is one of the main archaeological sites in Oman, the medieval port of Qalhat, near Sur in Ash-Sharqiyah Governorate, has long remained poorly documented. The extensive research initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism shed striking light on the history of this famous harbour city.

This book presents the results of nine years of archaeological research (2008-2016) carried out by the Qalhat Project, under the direction of Axelle Rougeulle (CNRS) and with the support of the Omani Ministry of Heritage, on the site of Qalhat in Oman - a famous medieval port (12th-16th centuries) now a UNESCO site… The publication is divided into eleven chapters, preceded by a table of contents and illustrations (pp. v-xiv), acknowledgements (p. xv) and an introduction (p. xvii). One hundred and thirteen bibliographical references are included at the end of the book. The richness and quality of the illustrations deserve special mention. The 171 illustrations provide a clearer picture of the archaeological contexts and pay tribute to the considerable amount of work that has gone into mapping and studying the artefacts. (Translated from the French) - Guillaume Chung-To (2025), Bulletin critique des Annales islamologiques

Although it is one of the main archaeological sites in Oman, the medieval port of Qalhat, near Sur in Ash-Sharqiyah Governorate, has long remained poorly documented. The extensive research initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (at the time, Heritage and Culture) shed striking light on the history of this famous harbour city, which was the twin capital of the Kingdom of Hormuz from the 13th to the 16th century. Surface surveys and excavations have revealed the plan and chronology of the city and its different districts. Mosques (including the Great Mosque built by Bibi Maryam around 1300) and other religious buildings, fortifications, and water supply systems have been identified and studied. The craft and economic activities of the city and the regional and international commercial links of the port have been reconstructed, as well as the daily life of its inhabitants, revealing the wealth and cosmopolitan character of this ancient Omani metropolis. All these results highlighted the Outstanding Universal Value of the site and eventually led to the inscription of Qalhat on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.

• | Author: Axelle Rougeulle
• | Publisher: Archaeopress
• | Publication Date: Oct 27, 2023
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781803275932
• | ISBN-10: 1803275936