Muscat,(ONA) - The twelfth issue (December 2020) of the biannual electronic Qal'at Al-Tareekh magazine was published earlier this week, issued by Qal'at Al-Tareekh initiative. The new issue included many diverse topics related to the ancient history and heritage of the Sultanate.

In the editorial by the editor-in-chief, Imad bin Jasim Al-Bahrani, he proposed the issuance of a refereed historical periodical, one of its objectives being to work to highlight the history and civilization of the Sultanate through the ages, and to provide the opportunity for young Omani specialists, scholars, and interested in the science of history, to publish their articles and research in a scientific and methodical manner to be the first of its kind in the Sultanate.

Within the articles of the issue, the researcher, Dr. Hanan bint Mahmoud Ahmed, writes an article about the interest of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Omani documents, realizing that documentation is an important step for developing future plans, to preserve the Sultanate’s history throughout the ages, based on the long tradition of Oman that goes into the roots of history, and the belief that Omani cultural heritage is an identity and belonging.

The researcher, Dr. Ahlam bint Hammoud, Al-Jahwiriya, in her article entitled “Sultan Barghash bin Said: The Sultan of Zanzibar,” discussed the biography of one of the greatest sultans of Zanzibar, as described by many historians. In this article, the researcher reviewed a group of cultural achievements that were achieved in Zanzibar during the reign of Sultan Barghash bin Said (1870-1888).

For his part, the researcher Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Rahbi addressed the topic of "Indian commercial influence in Oman during the period from1888 to1913". In his article, the researcher touched on the origins of the Banyan Indian merchants and how their economic activities developed in particular in Muscat, during the reign of Sultan Faisal Bin Turki (1888-1913), in addition to the Omanis' attempt to liberate their economy from foreign influence, represented by the Indian merchants covered by British patronage.

The researcher Youssef Al-Kumzari discussed the British Consul’s trip to Al Batinah and Musandam in 1950, through his translation of a report presented by the British Consul in Muscat, Major F.C. L. Chauncy on the tour that he made to a number of Omani regions in 1950, including the Batinah coast and the coast of Ru'oos al-Jibal up to the Wilayat of Khasab by sea.

The researcher Sultan bin Salem Al-Essayi wrote an article on "Sheikh Saeed Al-Mughairy and his methodology in Omani historical writing." He dealt with the most prominent books of Sheikh Al-Mughairy in history, namely the book "Juhaynat Al-Akhbar in the History of Zanzibar" and the book "The Journey of Sultan Khalifa bin Harib to Europe 1937-1960". His book "Juhaynat Al-Akhbar in the History of Zanzibar" is considered one of the most reliable sources in the study of the history of East Africa.

In the section "Oman in the Press of the Past", Dr. Huda bint Abdul Rahman Al Zadjaliya reviews the news of Sultan Ali bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, who took over the rule of Zanzibar during the period (1905-1911) in a number of Arab and international newspapers.

In the section "University Theses", the Iraqi Academic Dr. Ahmad Al-Sari presents his thesis titled "Iranian-Omani Relations (1970 - 1989)", through which he obtained a PhD in history from Basra University in 2018. In this thesis, we learn about the history of political relations between the two countries during the seventies and eighties of the last century.

The researcher, Balqees bint Muhammad Al Fannah, also presents her thesis of her master's degree at Sultan Qaboos University with the title “Oman's political conditions during the period (280-442 AH / 893-1050 AD)”. The study aimed to track the political situation of Oman during the aforementioned period, and to identify the most important political events that Oman witnessed during that period.

It is worth noting that Qal'at Al-Tareekh periodical is published in June and December, and all issues are freely available on the Internet.

(ONA)