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Oman / Dhofar /
Taqah
Wilayat Taqah falls between Salalah and Marbat on the Dhofari
coastline. Taqah was once a prosperous port and has been a significant
trading centre of the ancient world.
Some of the
most famous remains in this area are found at Samhuran, an ancient
city which is thought to date back to 3000BC. Old though these
remains may be, inscriptions are still visible in the walls and
columns of the citadel. Frankincense was the main export, which
found its way to Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt in 1500BC. A drawing
of a Pharaonic ship docked at Samhuran is still displayed in a
temple in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The Queen of Sheba
also dispatched a boatload of frankincense from this port as a
gift to Prophet Solomon (son of David). In 1952, the 'American
Foundation for the Study of Man' discovered the remains of stone
sculptures and carvings, pre-Islamic tombs and a citadel which
is thought to be part of the ancient city of Taqah. Modern day
Taqah has silver-white beaches, fresh water springs, caves and
grottos which make the district popular with visitors.
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