Al-Baleed Archaeological Park is an archaeological park located in Al Balīd (Arabic: البليد) of Salalah, Dhofar, Oman. It is a part of the Land of Frankincense in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.[3]
The ruins in the park belong to the medieval city of Ẓafār/Ẓufār (Arabic: ظفار) which also covers the adjacent area in Ar Rubāṭ (Arabic: الرباط). Ẓafār/Ẓufar, from which the Dhofar Governorate got its name,[4] acted as an important port for frankincense trade after the decline of the nearby port in Khor Rori.[1][2] It is sometimes associated with Sapphara Metropolis mentioned by ancient Greek/Roman authors,[5] but this name more likely refers to the ancient Himyarite city with the same name.[6]
It was visited by many famous travellers, such as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Mujawir and Zheng He.[7] The city declined in the 16th–17th centuries due to various reasons such as the closure of the lake Khawr al Balīd (which used to be a bay) and Portuguese/Turkish/Mamluk invasion.[1][2]
The park also contains the Museum of the Land of Frankincense.
References
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