Archaeological Sites
From the archaeological point of view, the Sultanate of Oman belongs to the least known countries of the Arab world. Archaeological research on a scale worthy of the name first began in 1970 with the opening up of Oman.
The modern frontiers in the East of the Arabian peninsula resulted from European colonial politics and only roughly corresponds to the earlier territories and spheres of influence of the individual tribes and peoples.
Archaeology differentiates between north-west, central and south Oman. The first includes the United Arab Emirates, the second, the central and northern parts of the Sultanate and the last, the southern province of Dhofar.
Perhaps the most interesting archaeological site in the Sultanate, Bat, is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Other sites that entered into UNESCO’s World Heritage List are the ancient ports of Samharam and al-Baleed, as well as the oasis of Shisr (Ubar) . They all are related to the ancient frankincense trade routes.
Georg Popp
What makes this travel guide so special? This book is a product of the long-term personal friendship between the authors, Mr Georg Popp and Mr Juma Al-Maskari and their continuing fascination with the Sultanate of Oman. Combining their insights from European and Omani perspectives, they have produced a guide which is as much about culture and history as it is a practical guide for planning your itinerary.
