Qalhat
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How it came to be
Qalhat is the site of an old port city on the east coast of Oman, about 20 km north of Sur. It flourished as a major port from the 11th to the 15th century, and its walled town covered 35 ha. The city belonged to the Princes of Hormuz, who used it as a seasonal residence and refuge, giving it the standing of a second capital.
Its port traded with India, East Africa, China and South-East Asia in dates, Arabian horses, incense, spices and pearls. Marco Polo visited in the 13th century and called it Calatu. Ibn Battuta, who came in the 14th century, wrote of fine bazaars and one of the most beautiful mosques, built by Bibi Maryam. Bibi Maryam went on ruling Qalhat and Hormuz after the death of her husband Ayaz in 1311 or 1312.
In 1507 Portuguese forces under Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city, but trade had already shifted to Muscat and Qalhat was in decline. It was abandoned in the 16th century, and today the domeless mausoleum of Bibi Maryam is nearly the only prominent building left. Objects from as far away as Persia and China have been found on the site, which was inscribed in 2018.
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