'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1400] (461/688)

WOO 'OMAN SULTANATE
the coast of Arabia from the entrance of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the neighbourhood of Ras
bajar opposite Saqotrah, and inland as far as the confines of the Ruba'-al-Khali or Great
Desert. More precisely, the extreme points on the coast are the village of Tibat in
Kuus-al-Jibal, on the western face of the promontory that divides the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
from the Gulf of 'Oman, and the village of Kharifot, in the Dhufar District. It
should, however be noted that the boundary between the political jurisdictions of
Masqat and Aden is Ras Sajar, The Dhufar District is reckoned to the Sultanate of
Oman, and therefore the boundary between the latter and Hadhramaut has been
considered to be immediately to the west of the village of Kharifot. Between
these the Sultan s territory is continuous but for a strip of coast-line which
extendmg from Dibah to Khor Kalbaon the east side of the'Oman Promontory, belongs'
to the Shaikh of Sharjah and is consequently part of Trucial 'Oman. The Sultan's
land frontier on the side towards Baraimi may, to the northwards of the Great Desert
be placed at the watershed between that place and the coast of the Gulf of 'Oman'
Divisions. The country is not regularly parcelled out into administrative districts',
but it falls naturally into several distinct tracts which have recognised names.
, „ . c , h , ief Physical feature is a range of mountains or hilly tract which, commencing
at Ras Musandam, the entrance of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , sweeps round in a curve parallel
to the coast to terminate in the vicinity of Ras-al-Hadd, the point which divides the
11 0 - ma ? T fr ° I ? ^ Indian 0cean - From R5s Musandam to Dibah this tract is
called Ruus-al-Jibal; the remainder is known as the Hajar of 'Oman. Hajar attains
its maximum altitude of nearly 10,000 feet in Jabal Akhdhar, a group of lofty mountains
to the south-west of Masqat Town, and immediately beyond Jabal Akhdhar it is cut
™- ^ t 0 ! ) u Samai1 ' whlcl1 thus divides it into Western and Eastern Hajar,
Ruus-al-Jibal and the two parts of Hajar in themselves constitute three territorial
divisions ; and between Western Hajar and the sea is enclosed a long and narrow but
populous maritime district, known as Batinah. From Western Hajar a number of
valleys descend across Batinah to the sea, most of which are thickly inhabited in their
ImmediateI y east of ^Vadi Samail the mountains of Hajar reach down
h JI i fv! C in + f masses ; and beyond this again, almost as far as Ras-al-
Mn n f T C ran u e actually sk J rts the sea - The intricate country immediatelv behind
L no comprehensive mime ; part of it is caUed Saih Hatat' and the
whole of it is described in this Gazetteer under the title of Masqat District. The valleys
slrnSl^l +h e - n0 + S 1? f ume ™ us ' nor with the notable exceptions of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Taj In, Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Samad and thMr tributaries, generally so populous as those of Western Hajar.
^ CO ,f j being . concluded we turn next to those of the interior,
^ West e m Ha 3 ar Iie the two inland districts of
Se RnW^ KhT^ or^ 'these Dhahirah, which is to the west, slopes inwards to
^ n b ; , al - Kha 1 ^sert; while 'Oman Proper, the physical centre of the whole countrv,
rrounded except on the south-east by hills and situated from 1,500 to 2,000 feet above
_J: f ge f S qv 8 amage the I ndian Ocean. Inland of Eastern Hajar
waW^H nn^ ? iar ^> Vah and JaaIan ' whi Gh also belong to the oceanic side of the
'Om/n p n ^ t ^ with those of 'Oman Proper. Sharqiyah adjoins
I T r T r ' ^ f u toi \ ches the south-eastern corner of SharqTyah at one end
vr f an 0cean at the othe l r - T he desolate coastal tract from Ras-al-Hadd to
Onifln S f T m u n ^ e ^ m& y ^ called the South-Eastern Coast of
6 . Mas]rah and the Kuria Muria islands. Beyond Ras Nus is the district
whn^P 0 a mar . lt i me P lam and of the crescent of the Samhan hills
whose horns reach the sea upon either side of the plain.
tVip 'Z- - The orography of Oman has been noticed above in distributing
K Th f e ^ OCks COnsist m0stl y of limestone which in places is
canio qprr^nf'n t w 6 f 0 ^ x 0 ^^ as< l a t i® the centre of a remarkable outcrop of vol-
in the nShhrn, h ^ extends for 10 miles along the coast; and igneous rock occurs also
Fastern ^ P T ts of the interior ' a ^ at various points on the South-
20 mnes^u i of Th f ^ of which a small field exists about
h^d of eP0SltS 0 / 8llver and C0 PP er are said to exist in the neighbour-
nooa ot bamaa, but they are not now worked.
^ ? nd at f 6 COast ' is f0Und in Batinah ; Dhahirah is a mixture
of clay and gravel; Oman Pr oper Jias a stony surface; Sharqyah and Ja'alan tend to
It drains In chic fl y o n'l t s' 'east skie!" d 0 an<i affluents in Eastern flajaraas much as the area which