Introduction
On the shores of the Gulf of Omen lies an almost dying city called Sur. Sur was the capital city of Ash Sharqiya Region before it was split into two. The primary activity in the city today seems like prayer and religion in general as most of the very few buildings in the city are mosques. The city only looks like what it used to be that what it is currently. The sea which is said to have been once the most active as a means of transport to East Africa looks deserted with only a few boats lying around. Even with the developments done on the roads and the buildings which still reflect the ancient look of the city, the city looks traditional. The city of Sur has lagged behind in development and has failed to catch up with the development of other coastal cities with which it used to trade.
Geographical Location
The city of Sur is the capital city of what used to be Ash Shaqiya region in Omen. The Ash Shaqiya was the north eastern region of the Omen Sultanate. However, the region was split into two in 2011, forming the north and south governorates of Ash Shaqiya. The precise location of Ash Shaqiya region on the map is 220N and 590E while Sur is located inside that region on at the coordinates 22034’0” 59031’44”E on the map. The city’ is locating one hundred and fifty kilometers from the capital city of Oman. The capital city of Oman is known as Muscat, (Funsch, 2015). An aerial view of the city shows minimal activity and very few buildings. The city neighbors other towns and cities in Oman including Drughmur, Qurayyat, Matrah, Madinat As sultan Qaboos, Ibra, Hamriyah and Al-qabil, (Mohamed et al. 2016). These are the cities and towns within two hundred and fifty-kilometer radius from Sur. The city can be accessed by road, air and sea, which still forms an important part of life in Sur.
History
The city of Sur was known for being a major destination for sailors in Oman. Arabic nations were mainly traders with East Africans and Sur, being a coastal city, is a product of the trade between the two regions. Sur was in trade with East Africa as early as the 6th century. It became an established center for trade due to its location and naturally made harbor for ships. The Portuguese took control of the city in the 16th century but it was later liberated. After its liberation by the Imam Nasir of Oman, it underwent an economic revival involving trade with East Africa and India. It once again rose to become a center for trade, (MacLean, 2013).
The city was also used for slave trade until the middle of the nineteen century when the Britons outlawed slave trade. The opening of the Suez Canal killed its links with India and with that died the trade with India. Without trade, the city retained only the glory of its former self. The trade is said to have lasted for decades which saw interactions between the Africans and the people of Sur most of whom were Arabic, (MacLean, 2013). The end of trade between the city and the Britons as well as that with the Indians killed the city’s ties with Africa too. This is because there would be not much to trade especially given that the city is located in an arid area.
The city is surrounded by rocky hills which and sand which limit its activities to trade and sea activities. The revival of the city without trade would have been very difficult which explains why the city is currently not anywhere closer to its former trade partners like the city of Mombasa in East Africa which is the busiest in that region, (MacLean, 2013). The growth of the city too would have been very difficult without a main activity as it is common with many geographic regions.
The city’s hopes of growth seem to have died with the end of trade with the Britons and the Indians. Today, the city can only rely on the neighboring regions for trade and the tourists who might have heard of the former glory of the city and wish to pass by as they visit the neighboring locations. Ash Shaqiya region attracts tourist mostly because of the green turtles in the coast of Ra’s Al-Hadd and Ra’s Al-Ghaima, which are the most significant for breeding. The two coastal regions form the most important natural reserve in the Omani Sultanate, (MacLean, 2013). The Wadi Bani Khalid is also a spectacular place to visit for tourists and is located in the Ash Shaqiya region. These regions are protected by the Omani sultanate government. For those tourists who may have heard of the fame of the Sur city, they may try to pass by. Another reason to visit would be the fact that it is the capital of the Ash Shaqiya region.
Education
The city has been blessed with two major education institutions. One is the Sur College of social sciences that teach mainly business related courses, (Sriram, and Rajev, 2014). The college hosts over four thousand students taking degrees in communication, business, design, and information technology. In Oman, Sur College of social sciences is one of the better learning institutions. The city also hosts the Sur University College.
Shipbuilding
Since the city is located at the coast of the Indian Ocean, it has been historically used for dhow making. It was famous in the whole of the Persian Gulf for the building of wooden ships that were used by sailors to travel the world for trade and fishing. Some of the ships made in the city of Sur have traveled the world to a far as Zanzibar, China, Iraq, and India in search of trade. The ships were also used in other activities such as pearl fishing, (Funsch, 2015).
The two most famous ships built in the city of Sur are the Gahnjah and Sambuk which were used to travel to East African and Asia in the search for trade. The two ships were also famous for their use in pearl fishing. Today, the economic activity of shipbuilding still benefits the ancient city as dhow building still goes on. Dhows were used for trade and fishing in the 19th century but today they are only common vessels for small-scale fishers. This is an indication why the Indian Ocean will always be an important part of Sur city. For all its years of glory, the city used the sea as its main source of livelihood for trade, as a means of transport, as a source of food through fishing and most importantly for shipbuilding.
Climate
Sur is located in an arid area on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Due to its geographic location, the city experiences hot desert climate. The climatic conditions are characterized but minimal rainfall and very high temperatures. The geographic location also ensures that the city experiences very low night temperatures. The weather seems to be generally the same throughout the year with some small differences in the months of March and September with March being the wettest and September happens to be the driest.
Cyclones are a common problem for the city of Sur. Some of the most recent cases of cyclone reported to have hit the city include Cyclone Gonu in 2007 and Cyclone Phet in 2010. The average rainfall for the year in Sur is approximately 82mm with an average number of rainy days of 13 per year while the average temperature is about 340C. The average humidity is about 62%.
Travel Guide
A travel guide to Sur by the World 66 website places Sur at about 350kms from the capital city of Oman, Muscat. The first recommendation for any visitor by the website is a visit to the Wadi Bani Khalid which is geographically not located in Sur,. However, it is an amazing site for nature lovers and the site recommends it for a first stop before actually making it to Sur. Since Sur was a port town, it doesn’t disappoint on that note as it still hosts a few forts such as the Al Alijah. Being an Arabic region, the city is a good place to try the Arabic food in the markets. The city still has those seaside screens that play movies at night projected on a large screen from a DVD.
The temperatures are high during the day and cold during the night which makes it not-so-friendly by a wonder to try for tourists. The city is also close to the Wadis and the famous green turtle beach called Ra’s Al Hadd. The city is surrounded by the Wadis like the Wadi Tiwi which provides a very enjoyable site for swimming in during the hot sunny day,. Another tourist site is the White Sands beach which is and can be used for camping. However, the most famous tourist site while at the city is the Ra’s Al Hadd where the endangered green turtle lay their eggs in a bid to increase their diminishing population. It would be a disappointment is someone left the city without visiting the Dhow–making sites in Sur. The dhow yard is located at the downtown beach where the boats are still made by hand like the ancient times. This is one of the oldest activities in the city, in Oman and the in world.
Archeological Site
The most famous site in Sur is the Ra’s Al-Hadd where discoveries of ruins were made which dates as far back as 2700BC. The building ruins discovered indicates the existence of two to three houses in a courtyard with relics found estimated to date back to the times of civilization in Mesopotamia. The discoveries also revealed shells which were used in ancient times for making rings. This indicates that the region once had craftsmanship as an economic activity. A limestone incense burner was also discovered at the site which is estimated to date back to 2200BC. Pieces of Porphyry stones found at the site are said to be from vessel base and can be linked to the civilization of Egypt. It shows that once upon a time, Egypt and Oman had cultural links which would probably have been through trade. Archeologists also discovered women’s jewelry which they estimate to date back to 2700BC,. The archeological site places Sur at a more ancient time than the 6th-century trade with East Africa and provides proof that the city may have had links with other parts of the world including North Africa. It also gives the city some more ancient meanings and related activities other than shipbuilding and trade.
A Visit to Sur
In a video posted on YouTube by “places of interest” display a city which, compared to modern cities, seems completely vacated,. The video shows scarcely populated places of the city and very few ongoing activities. The new developments can be seen, but the old buildings still exist some of top of the raised grounds. Urban roads and houses are visible but other than the road, the other places seem to have little activities. The sea is not as busy as it probably used to be but the many boats located at the shore imply that the seat is still operational. A number of mosques can be seen in the video indicating that the people of the city are religious.
On the way back to Muscat from Sur, a video on from YouTube by Wolfgang Gegusch shows the beautiful sceneries that can be easily reached from the city of Sur. Some of the standout scenes include the Mausoleum of Bibi Maryam, which is found a few kilometers from the city. The mausoleum is surrounded by a wall of rocks which seeming were arranged by human hand like the great walls of Zimbabwe. Another feature just before the mausoleum is the rocky Qalhat,. Something that is even more amazing and interesting to think of is the fact that most of the buildings in Sur are painted in very bright colors mostly white. This is probably because of the high temperatures during the day and very low temperatures during the night, which is a characteristic of the hot desert climate.
Social life
The city of Sur is inhabited by mostly Arabs of Oman making the religion predominantly Islam. The main national and official language in the city is Arabic, which can be seen from displayed in the shops and as spoken by the locals, (Mabry et al. 2013). The people of Sur are a very religious people indicated by the several mosques. The locals are also very friendly and willing to support visitors with directions whenever asked, (Al-Lawati et al. n.d). The people seem to still enjoy ship making.
Recommendations
As observed in the video “Muscat to Sur”, some of the roads to Sur are submaged. The vehicles has to pass through pools of water which make the journey unfriendly. Some other parts of the road are rough,. The Omani government can improve the road conditions in order to boost tourism in Sur. In Sur, there is a part of the beach which has become muddy,. Boat riders have to walk on the mad since their boats can not move closer to dry land. Development of a more modern habor for the boats would make a great improvement for the city.
Conclusion
The city of Sur is an interesting destination for any tourist with an interest in history. A visit to the city also connects one to the archeological sites and the tourist sites like the green turtles breeding grounds. It is amazing how the city has been left so far behind her former trade partners. However, the city continues the ship making activity which seems to have become more of a culture practiced for so many years. The city is geographically located between high mountain-like rocks and high grounds which is a common characteristic of many coastal areas. The development of a new and more modern activity would probably rejuvenate the city even if not as fast as it was in the past and as high as its former glory. The people of Sur could also use their craftsmanship in the production of the wooden ships for adventure and display.
Reference List:
Gegusch, W., 2013. (Video) Oman Muscat to Sur 2013, s.l.: s.n.
Oman Tourism, n.d. Ras AlHadd Discoveries, s.l.: s.n.
Places of Interest, 2014. (Video) Sur City, Oman, s.l.: s.n.
World66.com, n.d. Sur Travel Guide, s.l.: s.n.
Mabry, R.M., Winkler, E.A., Reeves, M.M., Eakin, E.G. and Owen, N., 2013. Correlates of Omani adults’ physical inactivity and sitting time. Public health nutrition, 16(01), pp.65-72.
Sriram, B. and Rajev, M.K.G., 2014. Impact of academic library services on user satisfaction: Case study of Sur University College, Sultanate of Oman. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 34(2).
Mohamed, A.M.E., El-Hussain, I., Deif, A., Al-Jabri, K., Al-Habsi, Z. and El-Hady, S., 2016. Near-surface site characterization at Quriyat City, Sultanate of Oman using HVSR and MASW techniques. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 9(1), pp.1-18.
Funsch, L.P., 2015. The Lure of Oman. In Oman Reborn (pp. 9-33). Palgrave Macmillan US.
Al-Lawati, J.A., Panduranga, P., Al-Shaikh, H.A., Morsi, M., Mohsin, N., Khandekar, R.B., Al-Lawati, H.J. and Bayoumi, R.A., نامع ةنطلس في يركسلا ءاد ةيئابو.
MacLean, M., 2013. Nelida Fuccaro, Histories of City and State in the Persian Gulf: Manama Since 1800. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 276 pages. Arabian Humanities. Revue internationale d’archéologie et de sciences sociales sur la péninsule Arabique/International Journal of Archaeology and Social Sciences in the Arabian Peninsula, (1).
Appendices
An areal view of Sur city retrieved from www.phonebookofsur.com
Image showing dhowing making process in Sur city: retrieved from www.impactphotos.com
