Oman History:

Oman is the ancient land of frankincense, the aromatic gum which was once considered more precious than gold. The Omani civilization dates back thousands of years—in biblical times the country was the hub of the rich frankincense trade. Known for their seafaring tradition, the Sultans of Oman ruled over a wealthy trading empire that stretched from the coast of East Africa to the tip of the Indian subcontinent from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

   Little is known about Oman's pre-Islamic past but it is clear from recent archeological discoveries and research that early civilizations existed at least 5000 years ago.

Sumerian tablets refer to a country named "Magan" as a source of copper. It seems certain that they referred to Oman.Evidence from excavations near Sohar shows that the copper mining and smelting industry was well developed by the year 2000BC.

Frankincense from Dhofar, which was so important in the social religious life of ancient peoples also provides evidence of the existence of an early trading community. It is also clear that there were farming and fishing settlements from the earliest times.

The ancestors of present day Omanis are believed to have arrived in two waves of migration over a number of years, the first from Yemen and the second from northern Arabia at a time when various parts of the country were occupied by the Persians.

The call of the Prophet Mohammed to the Omanis to become Muslims altered the course of their history. It was in about 630 AD that Amr Ibn al-As arrived in Oman bearing a letter from the Prophet to Abd and Jaifar, the two sons of al-Julanda, who ruled Oman jointly. Having embraced Islam, they were instrumental in defeating the Persians.

The early Imamate in Oman arose out of a vision to create the true and ideal Muslim state. The first Ibadhi Imam, Julanda bin Mas'ud, was elected in 751 AD but he died in battle and it was not until 801 AD after a period of turmoil that Warith bin Kaab was elected. There then followed a period of peace, stability and prosperity lasting more than three hundred years.

Maritime trade flourished and Sohar became the greatest sea port in the Islamic world. As they traveled and traded, the Omanis spread the message of Islam, as well as Arab culture and language, reaching as far east as China.

Portuguese Occupation: In the early 16th century after the Portuguese under Vasco de Gama had discovered the sea route round the Cape of Good Hope to India, they occupied Muscat for a century and a half in order to dominate the trade which had until then been an Arab Monopoly. The Portuguese were expelled from Muscat in 1650 by Sultan bin Saif al-Yarubi.

The Ya'aruba Dynasty: Since the expulsion of the Portuguese no other foreign power has ever occupied Oman, apart from a brief period when the Persians made a partial occupation. The Ya'aruba Imams introduced a period of renaissance in Omani fortunes both at home and abroad, uniting the country and bringing prosperity. It was under the Ya'aruba dynasty that many of the imposing castles and beautiful buildings that have been restored recently, such as the fort at Nizwa and the Palace at Jabrin, were built.

Unfortunately, on the death in 118 of the Imam, Sultan bin Saif II, civil war broke out over the election of his successor. Persian troops occupied Muttrah and Muscat but failed to take Sohar which was defended by Ahmad bin Said, who continued to fight the Persians and drive them from Oman after the civil war had ended.

The Al bu Said Dynasty In 1744 Ahmad bin Said, who was a man of outstanding personality and courage, was elected Imam. He faced a number of difficulties in reconciling the rival factions after the civil war, but he managed to build up the Omani navy into a power to be reckoned with, personally leading expeditions against pirates and driving the Persians out of Basra. When he died in 1783, his son Said was elected Imam but he was not popular, being replaced by his son Hamad, who had been de facto ruler in Muscat while his father remained in Rostaq. Hamad died suddenly in 1792 and his uncle, Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed, assumed power until his death in 1804. He had exercised such tight control over Oman and trade in the Gulf that European powers dealt with him as the effective ruler of the country. Sayyid Sultan was succeeded by his son, Sayyid Said bin Sultan, who consolidated his father's achievements at home and abroad during his reign from 1804-1856. It was in this period that Oman reached its zenith as a regional power with possessions on both sides of the Gulf and in East Africa. Sayyid Said concentrated on developing his country's economy and commerce. He made Zanzibar his second capital and concluded agreements with the European powers, as well as sending a special envoy to the United States, making Oman the first Arab state to establish diplomatic relations with that country. Thereafter, however, there followed a period of decline and, at the time of the First World War, Oman's share of international commercial activities was very limited. Indeed, Oman remained largely isolated from the rest of the world until, in 1970, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos came to power. His Majesty's reign was the beginning of a bright new era that renewed Oman's historic glories and opened a new chapter of development, prosperity and social and economic progress.

Oman Geography:

A map of the Arabian Peninsula rather resembles a boot with the toe pointing in a north-easterly direction. Oman, with 309,500 square kilometres of very varied, striking terrain, occupies the south-eastern part of the Peninsula, between Latitudes 16 40' and 26 20' North and Longitude 51 50' and 59 40' East. With a coastline which extends for 1,700 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz in the north to the borders of the Republic of Yemen and overlooks three seas - the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The Sultanate of Oman borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the west; the Republic of Yemen in the south; the Strait of Hormuz in the north and the Arabian Sea in the east.

Dominated by an interior of jagged mountains simply called al-Hajar, 'the Rock', the country is a magic tapestry of different terrain. The mountains, whose king at a soaring 3,075 metres is the terraced Jabal al-Akhdar ("The Green Mountain"), rise straight out of the coastal plains or the seam or soar out of the gravel plateaux and shifting dunes in the Interior. The country ranges from the fjord-like barren majesty of the Musandam Peninsula that plunges into the Strait of Hormuz in the north, to the fertile Batinah plain that inclines south-east towards Muscat, from the vast, sandy edge of the Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter) through the mountains to the lush, monsoon-based near-tropical Salalah plain in the south.

The very landscape of Oman is dramatic and exciting. Rugged cliffs rise sheer from a deep blue sea; tawny deserts lap up to the foot of arid mountains whose jagged peaks tower high above; deep green palm groves fill a mountain valley or spread out around an ancient mud-built town.

Along the plain of the Batinah the palm groves form an uninterrupted belt, and the coastal towns behind them are guarded by ancient forts.

In the far south, the mountains of Dhofar turn a lush vivid green with the summer monsoon. It is the Hajar mountain range, however, that is the backbone of Oman. These mountains have played a central role throughout the history of the land, shaping the character of the people and their destiny.

Although the mountains only cover about one-sixth of Oman's total 309,500 square kilometres, they have always dominated the country at their feet, and determined the pattern of settlement there.

Climate:

Dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south.

Natural Resources:

Petroleum - Copper - Asbestos - Some marble - Limestone - Chromium - Gypsum - Natural gas.

The Fact Book