Al-Baleed Archaeological Park
البليد | |
 | |
  Shown within Oman | |
| Location | Salalah, Dhofar, Oman |
|---|---|
| Region | Arabia |
| Coordinates | 17°00′23″N 54°07′50″E / 17.00639°N 54.13056°E |
| Type | city |
| Part of | Land of Frankincense |
| History | |
| Founded | 6th century[1][2] |
| Abandoned | 17th century[1][2] |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1952–present[1] |
Al-Baleed Archaeological Park is an archaeological park located in Al Balīd (Arabic: البليد) of Salalah, Dhofar, Oman. It is a part of the Land of Frankincense in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.[3]
The ruins in the park belong to the medieval city of Ẓafār/Ẓufār (Arabic: ظفار) which also covers the adjacent area in Ar Rubāṭ (Arabic: الرباط). Ẓafār/Ẓufar, from which the Dhofar Governorate got its name,[4] acted as an important port for frankincense trade after the decline of the nearby port in Khor Rori.[1][2] It is sometimes associated with Sapphara Metropolis mentioned by ancient Greek/Roman authors,[5] but this name more likely refers to the ancient Himyarite city with the same name.[6]
It was visited by many famous travellers, such as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Mujawir and Zheng He.[7] The city declined in the 16th–17th centuries due to various reasons such as the closure of the lake Khawr al Balīd (which used to be a bay) and Portuguese/Turkish/Mamluk invasion.[1][2]
The park also contains the Museum of the Land of Frankincense.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Zarins, Juris (2007). "Aspects of recent archaeological work at al-Balīd (Ẓafār), Sultanate of Oman". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. 37: 309–324. ISSN 0308-8421.
- ^ a b c d Newton, Lynne S.; Zarins, Juris (2019). Dhofar through the Ages: An Ecological, Archaeological and Historical Landscape. Oxford: Archaeopress. pp. 38, 67, 115. ISBN 978-1-78969-160-3.
- ^ "Land of Frankincense". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2000-11-30. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ Costa, P.M. (1979). "The study of the city of Ẓafār (al Balīd)". Journal of Oman Studies. 5: 111–150.
- ^ Maugh, Thomas H. II (April 21, 1992). "L.A.-Based Archeology Team Finds 2nd Arabian City: History: Saffara Metropolis, a 3,000-year-old frankincense trading center, is found in Oman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ Yule, Henry (1903). The Travels of Marco Polo. Vol. 2.
- ^ "Al Baleed Archaeological Park Salalah - UNESCO World Heritage Site - in 2020". Beautiful Salalah. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
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