World Heritage Identification Number: 1537
World Heritage since: 2018
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇴🇲 Oman
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
Map
The Ancient City of Qalhat: A Testimony to Trade Links Across Continents
The Ancient City of Qalhat, situated on the eastern coast of Oman, offers a captivating glimpse into the rich history of trade connections that spanned continents during the 11th to 15th centuries CE. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, this ancient city played a pivotal role as a major port on the east coast of Arabia, fostering economic ties with regions such as East Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The property, which is located on the east coast of the Sultanate 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. The Ancient City bears unique archaeological testimony to the trade links between the east coast of Arabia, East Africa, India, China and South-East Asia.
Encyclopedia Record: Qalhat
Qalhāt is a village in Oman, over 20 km north of Sur. The residential area is to the northwest of Wādī Ḥilm, and the ruins of the ancient city are located to the southeast. The ancient city is referred to as Calatu by Marco Polo and as Calha in the map of Abraham Ortelius.Additional Site Details
Area: 75.82 hectares
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: 22.6952222222 , 59.3781111111
Image
© Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
