Madha مَدْحَاء | |
|---|---|
| Madha | |
 Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Madha | |
 Interactive map of Madha | |
  Madha Location in Oman Show map of Oman Madha Madha (United Arab Emirates) Show map of United Arab Emirates | |
| Coordinates:25°17′4″N56°19′59″E / 25.28444°N 56.33306°E /25.28444; 56.33306 | |
| Country |  Oman |
| Government | |
| • Sultan | Haitham bin Tariq Al Said |
| • Governor | Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said al Busaidy[1] |
| • Wāli | Ra'ad al-Busaidy |
| Area | |
• Total | 93.34 km2 (36.04 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 41 m (135 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 4,306[2] |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (GST) |
Madha (Arabic:مَدْحَاء,romanized: madḥāʾ) is awilayah in northernOman, and is anexclave of theMusandam Governorate, enclaved by theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE); inside it, there is asecond-order enclave:Nahwa, which is part of the UAEEmirate of Sharjah. Madha is located halfway between theMusandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman.
The exclave is on theFujairah–Khor Fakkan road, which is mostly in the Emirate of Sharjah, and covers approximately 93.34 km2 (36.04 sq mi). There are two exits to Madha on the Fujairah–Khorfakkan road. This territory is the only territory between UAE and Oman which is not lined with any barrier and there is noborder crossing between Madha, Nahwa, or the UAE.[3]
At the start of the 19th century, Madha belonged to theQawasim ofRas Al Khaimah but theShihuh ofDibba Bai'ah took it by force some time between 1869 and 1900. From that point, they had been aligned with the Shihuh from Dibba Bai'ah and their leader Muhammad bin Salih. The Madhanis determined that there was no point of staying with him and they needed a stronger government.[4]
In the late 1930s or early 1940s, the leaders of the four rival clans who ruled the Musandam Peninsula (Al Qassimi of Ras Al Khaimah, Al Qassimi ofSharjah,Al Sharqi ofFujairah, and theBu Said of Oman) gathered a group of village elders of Madha and posed a question as to which sheikhdom the Madhanis wanted to have allegiance to.[4] While all the other villages and towns around them (including the village ofNahwa that is within Madha) aligned themselves with the ruling families of Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, the Madhanis were swayed by the local representative, or wali, of thesultan of Oman Hamad bin Saif Al bu Sa'idi. The Madhanis chose Oman in the 1930s based on the firm belief that Oman was wealthier, had a stronger government, and would be better placed to protect the village's water supply. The boundary was settled in 1969 and Madha residents' decision to align with Oman made them an exclave of the Sultanate of Oman.[4][5]
Madha is mostly empty, with the developed portion, called "New Madha", containing roads, a school, post office, an 'Eid ground, police station, an Omani bank, electricity and water supply, and an airstrip. There is also aRoyal Oman Police patrol.[citation needed]
The territory of Madha is sparsely populated.[6]
In 2014, it was announced that a museum would be built to house the collection of local historianMohammed bin Salem al Mad’hani.[7]
A number of historical structures can be found in Madha, including the Madha Fort, which is thought to have been constructed in the 17th century under the rule ofSultan bin Saif Al-Yarubi. The fort is a must-see for history aficionados and a superb illustration of traditional Omani architecture.[8]
In the Wilayat of Madha there are some water springs, such as: Ain Al-Samay, which has a flow rate of three liters per second, and Ain Hajar Bani Hamid, which has a flow rate of about four liters per second.[9]
As Saruj Dam is one of the city's main attractions. Following the recent rains, the dam has significantly filled up, creating a lake of fresh water, making it a well-liked destination for travelers who wish to take in the gorgeous views and the fresh water.[8]
It was built in 2004 inWadi Madha, just before the village of As Saruj (Oman),[10][11] and was therefore named As Saruj Dam.[12][13] It has a height of 25.5 m (84 ft) and a reservoir with a capacity of 1.35 million cubic meters (coordinates: 25°16′4″N, 56°17′58″E).[14]
In the farming area a group of well-establishedbanyan trees are found. The farming area is watered byfalaj system with water coming from the mountain springs.
Muhammad bin Salem Al Madhani founded it and started gathering his exhibits in 1976 AD. Numerous items and antiques from before the birth of Christ can be found at the museum, including pottery, coinage, and agricultural implements.
Inscriptions on stones, fragments of arrows, spears, and other ancient weaponry as well as seals,timepieces, and various Omani rocks are also included.
The museum displays a number of documents, manuscripts, and historical coins dating back to thetenth century AD, such as: a Greek silver coin used during the reign ofAlexander the Great, a very small coin with a star made of stone on both sides, and a group of coins that were minted during theUmayyad andAbbasid eras.[15]
Additionally, Madha is well-known for its annual cultural festivals. These celebrations feature traditional music and dance performances, culinary festivals, and arts and crafts exhibitions as they honor the region's rich history and culture.[8]
Madha is a mountainous area with rugged terrain, and the climate is hot and dry in the summers and mild in winters.[8]
| Climate data for Madha (2000–2009) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 31.6 (88.9) | 36.6 (97.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 36.7 (98.1) | 35.8 (96.4) | 34.9 (94.8) | 33.4 (92.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 25.5 (77.9) | 31.4 (88.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 27.6 (81.7) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 29.8 (85.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 23.7 (74.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.1 (62.8) | 23.3 (73.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 17.4 (0.69) | 8.5 (0.33) | 13.7 (0.54) | 3.7 (0.15) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.3 (0.01) | 0.4 (0.02) | 0.0 (0.0) | trace | 0.3 (0.01) | 6.5 (0.26) | 17.9 (0.70) | 68.8 (2.71) |
| Source:World Meteorological Organization[16] | |||||||||||||
Media related toMadha at Wikimedia Commons
Madha travel guide from Wikivoyage
|  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
