Dawr Ahl ʻUmān al-Tijārī wa-Atharuhum al-Ḥaḍārī fī al-ʻAṣr al-Islāmī al-Wasīṭ - Ṣabbārī, ʻAbd al-Salām Muḥammad; al-Muʼtamar al-Duwalī: al-Dawr al-ʻUmānī fī Waḥdat al-Ummah (2014) (Kuwālā Lumbūr) (Kuwālā Lumbūr : Markaz Dhākirat ʻUmān, 2014)
The people of Oman were known for their skill and mastery in seafaring and maritime trade, and were among the most knowledgeable of people concerning the seas then known, the most learned in the seasons, the quarters of the winds and the tides. Their distinguished geographic position made this necessary and spurred them to it, alongside the inherited experience of their forebears among the tribes of Azd ʿUmān, so that their historical and civilizational ties widened into varied relations with many peoples near and far, passing beyond the bounds of Omani geography. Oman's central position formed a principal link binding the world of immense natural wealth in India, China, the Far East, East Africa and Yemen on one side, with the rest of the Gulf countries on both its Arab and Persian shores and with Iraq on another, and with the Mediterranean world in its eastern and western parts, whose people longed for the products of the East — spices, perfume, incense and frankincense.
Permanent citation identifier: MHF-OMANIUNITY-024.
Text in Arabic; title also romanized (ALA-LC); abstract and keywords in English.
Keywords: Maritime trade; Middle Islamic period; Omani merchants; Indian Ocean; Navigation; Civilizational impact