The port of Al Baleed (southern Oman), the trade in franckincense and its coveted treasures

Abstract

Myrrh, dragon’s blood, aloe and madder, and the mostimportant—frankincense and Arabian horses—passed throughthe strategically located port of Al Baleed in the southernmostregion of the Sultanate of Oman on the Arabian Peninsula.Known as Zafar in medieval times, this ancient port with a longhistory going back to the Bronze Age reached a peak in itsdevelopment as a hub of the medieval international trade on theIndian Ocean when many commodities were exported from theregion or passed through the port. The medieval frankincensetrade is barely studied despite its importance and the greatincomes that it generated. This general overview of the siteof Al-Baleed, important for its geographic location, climate,availability of water and abundance of fodder, will highlight theport's importance in the frankincense trade, mainly in relation tothe markets of the Far East, against the background of the othercoveted treasures from the region of Dhofar.

Keywords

• Al Baleed
• Dhofar
• frankincense
• Indian Ocean trade
• resins