The ancient city of Qalhat, or Galhat (Arabic: قلهات) (in the map of Abraham Ortelius, it named as Calha), is located just over 20 km north of Sur, in the Ash Sharqiyah Region of northeastern Oman.
During his visit, Ibn Battuta noted that it had "fine bazaars and one of the most beautiful mosques." He further noted the mosque was built by Bibi Maryam and included walls of qashani. Bibi Maryam continued to rule Qalhat and Hurmuz after the death of her husband Ayaz in 1311 or 1312.[1]
Very little remains of the ancient city of Qalhat, save for the now dome-less mausoleum of Bibi Maryam. The city served as an important stop in the wider Indian Ocean trade network, and was also the second city of the Kingdom of Ormus.[2] Covering more than 60 acres (240,000 m2), the ancient city was surrounded by fortified walls that contained houses and shops. Artifacts from as far away as Persia and China were found on-site.[2]
This site was added to the UNESCOWorld Heritage Tentative List on July 4, 1988 in the Cultural category.[2] The ancient city has become a World Heritage site in 2018.[3]
1 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.
