Salalah
Coordinates: 17 ° 1 ′ N , 54 ° 6 ′ E
Salala ( Arabic صلالة, DMG Ṣalāla ) is a city in the southwest of the Sultanate of Oman . It is the capital of the Dhofar Governorate . From 1932 to 1970 it was the capital of Oman. In 2017, around 374,000 people lived in the Salala agglomeration.
geography
The city is located on the Arabian Sea in an agriculturally intensively used coastal plain at the foot of the Dhofar Mountains.
Demographics
Currently (December 2007) around 100,000 people live in the capital region.
According to official data, the population in the Salalah administrative district grew by an average of 4.6% annually from 2003 to 2008, with the average annual growth rate of the proportion of residents being only 1.4%, the number of foreigners averaging 9.9% per year much stronger increase. The numbers in detail:
Wilaya Salala | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 |
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Total population | 172,570 | 223.074 | 195,640 | 185.780 | 171,333 | 171,074 | 162,970 | 156,530 |
including residents | 107,804 | 113,722 | 110,759 | 108.119 | 105,774 | 107,462 | 104,967 | 103,510 |
including foreigners | 64,766 | 109,352 | 84,881 | 77,661 | 65,559 | 63,612 | 58.003 | 53,020 |
Quota of foreigners | 37.5% | 49.0% | 43.4% | 41.8% | 38.3% | 37.2% | 35.6% | 33.9% |
religion
In contrast to the Ibadism prevailing in the rest of Oman , the residents of Salala are traditionally Sunnis and follow the school of law of the Shafiites .
Culture and sights
- In the district of al-Hafah, near the Al-Husn Sultan's Palace, some of the traditional houses made of limestone blocks still stand.
- The Al-Husn Sultan's Palace , where Sultan Qaboos regularly stays in the summer months, is not open to the public.
- The Sultan Qaboos Mosque in the city center, inaugurated in 2009, is well worth seeing. It can be viewed from Saturday to Wednesday from 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
- In the Al-Husn Souk there is a rich selection of incense and incense burners.
- Tropical plantations green the city.
- In the western part of the city, the Khor Salala area has been declared a bird sanctuary . The city's many lagoons also offer a retreat for many bird species.
- The ancient incense port of Al-Baleed in the eastern part of the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The excavation site can be visited.
- Near the archaeological site is the Museum of the Frankincense country (s Museum of the Frankincense Land): The transparency Museum provides a brief overview of the history of Oman, the Dhofar and frankincense trade. The exhibition is divided into a History Hall and a Maritime Hall . The tour should begin in the History Hall , which offers an overview of the cultural history of Oman.
- A small museum is housed in the building of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture.
- The tomb of the prophet Nabi Amran is approx. 30 m long and can also be visited by non- Muslims . Shoes must be removed and women must wear a headscarf.
- trips
- If you are about 20 km on "As Sultan Qaboos Street No. 47 ”west brings you to Mughsail Beach , where picnics are possible. At the western end of the beach, which is several kilometers long, you get to the restaurant "Al Mughsail Beach Tourist Restaurant and Park". From the visitor parking lot there, stairs lead up to the rock. Once at the top, you come to a fenced area. There the surf has hollowed out the rock , so blowholes (English " blowholes ") were created. Depending on the tides and the swell , fountains of sea water shoot out of the ground at regular intervals. The best time is during the Charif .
- The source of Razat is located about 15 km east of Salala. Bathing is prohibited because of the risk of schistosomiasis .
- Also to the east is Wadi Darbat , which is filled with plenty of water during the rainy season in summer ( Charif ) and resembles an oasis. Hikes can be undertaken there. You can also see many Arabs picnicking. Towards the sea, the river falls down an approx. 20 m high cliff. The Wadi Darbat waterfalls are a sensation for the desert dwellers.
- About 20 km north of Salala is the mausoleum of Nabi Ayup , who is also called Job. This person is mentioned in both the Bible and the Quran . The sanctuary can also be entered by non-Muslims. Shoes must be removed and women must wear a headscarf.
- The ancient incense port of Khor Rori ( Khor Rori Archeological site or the ancient Sumhuram ) 40 kilometers east of the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There you can visit the excavation site itself (Sumhuram Archaeological Park) and the attached small museum (Sumhuram - The Archaeological Gallery).
- Also to the east of Salalah you can visit Taqa (approx. 30 km away; sights: weir and fort) and Mirbat (approx. 75 km away; sights: mausoleum of Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali al-Alawi, fort, historical adobe houses).
Education sector and transport infrastructure
Education sector
- General education schools
- Local Arabic-language schools run by the Sultanate of Oman.
- International schools: British School Salala, Indian School Salala and the Pakistan School Salala.
- Colleges and colleges
- Salala College of Technology
- Salala College of Applied Science
- Dhofar University .
Transport infrastructure
Road traffic
Salala is connected to the national, well-developed and asphalted road network with the main roads No. 31 (leads to Muscat ), No. 47 (leads to Dalkut and further into Yemen ) and No. 49 (leads to Mirbat ).
Air traffic
Salalah has its own airport ( Salalah Airport ). There are several daily connections to Muscat with Oman Air . In addition, international destinations such as Doha , Dubai and Kuwait are served several times a week . During the Charif season, there are intercontinental flights. B. added to Sweden .
Rail transport
There are no rail connections to Dhofar.
Maritime transport
Salala has had a modern deep-water seaport since 1998, which is designed for containers, loose cargo handling and oil and which is sometimes called by cruise ships. The Port of Salala is one of the largest employers in the entire Dhofar Governorate. The Omani-Danish joint venture is managed by APM Terminals , a subsidiary of the Danish AP Møller-Mærsk AG. The adjoining free port is currently developing into a new industrial center with a cement plant and other heavy industry. Salalah used to be a center of the frankincense trade , which today has lost its importance due to Asian imports.
Personalities
- Sultan Qaboos (* 1940 in Salala; † 2020), Regent of Oman from 1970 to 2020
- Youssef al-Alawi Abdullah (* 1945 in Salala), diplomat and politician (foreign minister)
photos
Climate table
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Salalah
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Web links
- Official site of Port of Salalah (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of National Economy : Statistical Year Book, Thirty-Ninth Issue - November 2011, section 2-8, p. 12; Data based on the 2010 census.
- ↑ See Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of National Economy : Statistical Year Book, Thirty-Seventh Issue - November 2009, section 2-8, p. 63; Update of the census of December 7, 2003 on a mid-year basis.
- ↑ cf. Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of National Economy : Statistical Year Book, Thirty-Sixth Issue - October 2008, section 2-2; Update of the census of December 7, 2003 on a mid-year basis.
- ↑ See Franzisky, Peter / Kabasci, Kirstin : Oman, 4th, actual. Ed., Bielefeld: Reise Know-How Verlag, 2005, p. 526 ff.