Sohar () is the capital and largest city of the

Al Batinah North Governorate Al Batinah North Governorate ( Muḥāfaẓat Šamāl al-Bāṭinah) is one of the eleven governorates of Oman. It was created on 28 October 2011 when Al Batinah Region was split into Al Batinah North Governorate and Al Batinah South Governorat ...

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic port town on the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

, Sohar has also been credited as the mythical birthplace of

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a Literary cycle, story-cycle. He is described as hailing from Baghdad during the early Abbasid Caliphate (8th and 9th centuries A.D.). In the course of seven voyages thr ...

. It was historically known as Mazūn (). At the 2010 census, Sohar's population was 140,006, making it Oman's fifth most-populated settlement. Described as an industrial town, the development of the

Sohar Industrial Port SOHAR Port and Freezone is a deep-sea port and adjacent free zone in the Middle East, located in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman, midway between Dubai and Muscat. With current investments exceeding $26 billion, it is one of the world's fastest growing po ...

during the 2000s has transformed it into a major Omani industrial hub.

History

As the largest town in the region, it has been argued that Sohar is to be identified with the ancient town called 'Omanah' () mentioned by

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

in his ''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

''. This settlement is believed to have given

its name. According to

Al-Tabari Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...

, in 893 or 894 C.E., during the Abbasid era, there was a dispute about who should rule Oman amongst local factions. A faction that approached the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

s was the Bani Sama, who were based in Buraimi, before moving to Sohar. The Bani Sama also referred to themselves as the Wajihid Dynasty, and assumed leadership over the region. The present-day town of Buraimi is part of a historical region that Tabari referred to as ' Tawam', which is now believed to have encapsulated much of the present day United Arab Emirates, and to have been named for St Thomas the Apostle of the East. By the

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 (represented by the Roman numerals CMI) through 1000 (M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China, the Song dynasty was established, with most of C ...

, Sohar was one of the richest ports of the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. It was praised by

Ibn Hawqal Muḥammad Abū’l-Qāsim Ibn Ḥawqal (), also known as Abū al-Qāsim b. ʻAlī Ibn Ḥawqal al-Naṣībī, born in Nisibis, Al-Jazira (caliphal province), Upper Mesopotamia; was a 10th-century Arab Muslim writer, geographer, and chronic ...

and

Al-Maqdisi Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr, commonly known by the ''Nisba (onomastics), nisba'' al-Maqdisi or al-Muqaddasī, was a medieval Arab geographer, author of ''The Best Divisions in the Knowledge of the Regions'' and '' ...

, who called it "flourishing, populous, beautiful, pleasant and delightful", and compared it favourably with the ports of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Aloes Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood, gharuwood or the Wood of Gods, commonly referred to as oud or oudh (from , ), is a fragrant, dark and resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small hand carvings. It forms in the heartwood of ''Aquilaria' ...

, wood, bamboo, sandalwood and spices were brought from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and frankincense from

Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate () is the largest of the 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah Governorate and the southern border with Saudi Arabia's Easter ...

. The city was sacked by the

Buwayhids The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...

in 971 and its trade went into decline. It also suffered from attacks by the merchants of

Kish Kish may refer to: Businesses and organisations * KISH, a radio station in Guam * Kish Air, an Iranian airline * Korean International School in Hanoi, Vietnam People * Kish (surname), including a list of people with the name * Kish, a former ...

across the gulf, who briefly took control of the city around 1100. Sohar then became the initial seat of the Sultanate of Sohar, under the rule of the Bani Nabhan dynasty. They achieved ascendancy after being appointed governors of Sohar by their

Buyid The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...

suzerains. The city's famous fort was constructed in the late 13th century by the " Princes of Hormuz" while the city remained under Nabhani control. The two entities maintained an agreement over maritime and internal control of Oman. After a period of ruin, Sohar was re-established in the

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian calendar dates from 1 January 1401 (represented by the Roman numerals MCDI) to 31 December 1500 (MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Re ...

as a minor port under the Hormuzi-

Qalhat Qalhāt () is a village in Oman, over 20 km north of Sur. The residential area is to the northwest of Wādī Ḥilm (), and the ruins of the ancient city are located to the southeast. The ancient city is referred to as Calatu by Marco Polo ...

i sphere of influence. It was still an international port until at least the 16th century.

Portuguese occupation

In the early

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

, Sohar was conquered by the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

, which used the city to control the entrances to the Persian Gulf and trade in the region. It was part of a web of fortresses controlled by the Portuguese, from

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

to Hormuz, and was depicted in António Bocarro's 17th-century ''Book of Fortresses''.

Recent history

Starting on 26 February 2011, Sohar was the site of mass protests, part of the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...

uprisings. Although protests also occurred in

Muscat Muscat (, ) is the capital and most populous city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. ...

and

Salalah Salalah () is the capital and largest city of the southern Omani Governorates of Oman, governorate of Dhofar Governorate, Dhofar. It has a population close to 331,949. Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest ...

, the Sohar protests were the biggest in the country, attracting an estimated 2,000 people at times. The protesters' initial demands were for more job opportunities and greater political participation; later demonstrations also called for the release of detained protesters and an inquiry into the use of violence by security forces. The protests centered on Sohar's Globe Roundabout. In response, Sultan Qaboos announced reforms and a jobs program, and reshuffled the Omani cabinet.

Infrastructure

Industry

A number of enterprises and investment projects in Sohar are centred around the Port of Sohar. Established in 2002, the port has a strategic importance due to its nearness to the

Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...

. It is operated by the Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC). With current investments exceeding $12 billion, it is one of the world’s largest port development projects. The port's container terminal, managed by Hutchison Ports handles the majority of the container cargo of North Al Batinah region of the Sultanate. The industrial development of Sohar was prioritised in the Omani Government's economic development plan in 2020. Investments include more than $5 billion in the

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

industry in which Oman aims to be one of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

's leading producers. In addition to the steel industry, there is also the industry of

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

in Sohar industrial area. The Sohar Aluminium Company was established in 2004 and it is considered one of the leading projects that play a major role in the sultanate’s economic diversification strategy.

Education

Sohar has four high educational institutes: * Sohar University – a private university in association with the University of Queensland * Sohar College of Applied Sciences – a government owned college * Oman Medical College – a private university in association with

West Virginia University School of Medicine The West Virginia University School of Medicine is the professional school for studying medicine and other health professions at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The medical school was established in 1902 as the first such ...

* International Maritime College Oman Suhar also has a number of international schools such as: * Al Batinah International School (owned by Sohar Aluminium & ORPIC) – only IB SCHOOL * Sohar International School (S.I.S) * Indian School Sohar * Pakistan School Sohar * Bangladesh School Sohar

Parks

Sohar has four main parks. The first is Sohar Park, located in Al Humbar. The second is the Silver Jubilee Park which is located in Sallan. The third is the Entertainment Park in Sanaiyyah. The fourth is in falaj alqabail. There are many other parks, like Alminyal, Alsanqar, Alsuwaihra, Al Ons, Corniche park and Aluwaynat park. The city also has the

Sohar Regional Sports Complex Sohar Regional Sports Complex is a multi-use stadium in Sohar, Oman. It is currently used mainly for hosting association football, football matches and is the home ground of Sohar Club. The stadium has a capacity of 19,000 spectators. Sohar's ...

Landmarks

* Globe Roundabout *

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque () is the List of largest mosques, largest mosque in Oman, located in the capital city of Muscat. Construction In 1992, the then List of rulers of Oman, Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, directed that his ...

* Sohar Gate * Sohar Fort * Sohar Coastal Market * Bull Fighting Arena * Handcrafts Market * Fish Market * Sohar Entertainment Center * Sohar Beach * Silver Jubilee Park, Sallan

Climate

Sohar has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BWh'') with very hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is low; more than half of the year's total rainfall falls in February, and summers are almost completely dry.

References

External links

Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Overview
at Encyclopedia Britannica {{Authority control Populated places in Oman