Qalhāt Arabic:قلهات | |
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 Interactive map of Qalhāt | |
| Coordinates:22°41′58″N59°22′10″E / 22.69944°N 59.36944°E /22.69944; 59.36944 | |
| Country | Oman |
| Governorate | Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate |
| Wilayat | Wilayat of Sur |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,123 |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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 Bibi Maryam mausoleum | |
 Interactive map of Ancient City of Qalhat | |
| Location | Sur Province,Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate,Oman |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
| Reference | 1537 |
| Inscription | 2018 (42ndSession) |
| Area | 75.82 ha |
| Buffer zone | 170.09 ha |
| Coordinates | 22°42′N59°22′E / 22.700°N 59.367°E /22.700; 59.367 |
  Qalhat Location of Qalhat in Oman  Qalhat Qalhat (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
Qalhāt (Arabic:قلهات) is a village inOman, over 20 km north ofSur. The residential area is to the northwest of Wādī Ḥilm (Arabic:وادي حلم), and the ruins of the ancient city are located to the southeast. The ancient city is referred to asCalatu byMarco Polo and asCalha in the map ofAbraham Ortelius.
Marco Polo visited Qalhat in the 13th century, referring to it as Calatu.Ibn Battuta visited the city in the 14th century,[1] noting that it had "fine bazaars and one of the most beautiful mosques." He further noted the mosque was built byBibi Maryam and included walls ofqashani. Bibi Maryam continued to rule Qalhat and Hurmuz after the death of her husband Ayaz in 1311 or 1312.[2]Zheng He visited the city in the 15th century, and his crew called it 加剌哈 (Taihu Wu: ka-la-ha;Hokkien: ka-lat-ha;Cantonese: gaa-laat-haa).[3]
Qalhat served as an important stop in the widerIndian Ocean trade network, and was also the second city of theKingdom of Ormus. By 1507 when it was captured byAfonso de Albuquerque on behalf of thePortuguese Empire, the city was already in decline as trade shifted toMuscat.[1] Covering more than 60 acres (240,000 m2), Qalhat was surrounded by fortified walls that contained houses and shops. Very little remains of the ancient city, save for the now dome-lessmausoleum of Bibi Maryam. Artifacts from as far away as Persia and China were found on-site.[1]
Recently, a research conducted by geoarchaeologists of theUniversity of Bonn conclude that earthquake activity along the most prominent structural element, the Qalhat Fault, is a plausible reason for the decline of the medieval city.[4]
This site was added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Tentative List on July 4, 1988 in the Cultural category.[1] The ancient city became aWorld Heritage Site in 2018.[5]
The Oman LNG LLC S.A.O.C. ownedQalhat LNG Terminal is situated at the Port of Qalhat.[6]
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