Sohar
Sohar
Ṣuḥār (صُحَار) Mazūn (مَزُوْن) Wuxun UTC+4 (Oman Standard Time) |
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Sohar (
At the 2010 census, Sohar's population was 140,006, making it Oman's fifth most-populated settlement.
History
As the largest town in the region, it has been argued that Sohar is to be identified with the ancient town called 'Omanah' (
According to
By the 10th century, Sohar was one of the richest ports of the
Portuguese occupation
In the early 16th century, Sohar was conquered by the Portuguese Empire, which used the city to control the entrances to the Arabian Gulf and trade in the region. It was part of a web of fortresses controlled by the Portuguese, from Bahrain to Hormuz, and was depicted in António Bocarro's 17th-century Book of Fortresses.[13]
Recent history
Starting on 26 February 2011, Sohar was the site of mass protests, part of the Arab Spring uprisings. Although protests also occurred in Muscat and Salalah, the Sohar protests were the biggest in the country, attracting an estimated 2,000 people at times.[14] The protesters' initial demands were for more job opportunities and greater political participation; later demonstrations also called for the release of detained protesters and an inquiry into the use of violence by security forces.[15] The protests centered on Sohar's Globe Roundabout. In response, Sultan Qaboos announced reforms and a jobs program, and reshuffled the Omani cabinet.[14]
Infrastructure
Industry
A number of enterprises and investment projects in Sohar are centred around the
The industrial development of Sohar was prioritised in the Omani Government's economic development plan in 2020. Investments include more than $5 billion in the steel industry in which Oman aims to be one of the Gulf Cooperation Council's leading producers. In addition to the steel industry, there is also the industry of aluminium in Sohar industrial area. The Sohar Aluminium Company was established in 2004[17] and it is considered one of the leading projects that play a major role in the sultanate’s economic diversification strategy.
Education
Sohar has four high educational institutes:
- Sohar University – a private university in association with the University of Queensland.[18]
- Sohar College of Applied Sciences – a government owned college.[19]
- Oman Medical College – a private university in association with West Virginia University School of Medicine.[20]
- International Maritime College Oman.[21]
Suhar also has a number of international schools such as:
- Al Batinah International School (owned by Sohar Aluminium & ORPIC) – only IB SCHOOL.[22]
- Sohar International School (S.I.S)
- Indian School Sohar.[23]
- Pakistan School Sohar
- Bangladesh School Sohar
Parks
Sohar has four main parks. The first is Sohar Park, located in Al Humbar. The second is the Silver Jubilee Park which is located in Sallan. The third is the Entertainment Park in Sanaiyyah. The fourth is in falaj alqabail. There are many other parks, like Alminyal, Alsanqar, Alsuwaihra, Al Ons, Corniche park and Aluwaynat park. The city also has the Sohar Regional Sports Complex.
Landmarks
- Globe Roundabout
- Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque[24][25][26]
- Sohar Gate
- Sohar Fort
- Sohar Coastal Market
- Bull Fighting Arena
- Handcrafts Market
- Fish Market
- Sohar Entertainment Center
- Sohar Beach
- Silver Jubilee Park, Sallan
Climate
Sohar has a
Climate data for Sohar | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 32.6 (90.7) |
32.1 (89.8) |
37.4 (99.3) |
44.5 (112.1) |
46.9 (116.4) |
48.5 (119.3) |
50.0 (122.0) |
45.0 (113.0) |
43.2 (109.8) |
42.4 (108.3) |
37.7 (99.9) |
33.9 (93.0) |
50.0 (122.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
31.9 (89.4) |
36.3 (97.3) |
36.9 (98.4) |
36.2 (97.2) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
33.0 (91.4) |
29.5 (85.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
31.3 (88.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.4 (72.3) |
26.8 (80.2) |
31.0 (87.8) |
32.7 (90.9) |
33.0 (91.4) |
31.6 (88.9) |
30.3 (86.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
20.4 (68.7) |
26.5 (79.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
19.6 (67.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.8 (62.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
20.2 (68.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | 5.7 (42.3) |
5.8 (42.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
22.4 (72.3) |
21.4 (70.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
12.0 (53.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4.7 (0.19) |
56.2 (2.21) |
17.0 (0.67) |
7.8 (0.31) |
2.5 (0.10) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (0.02) |
0.0 (0.0) |
3.8 (0.15) |
15.9 (0.63) |
108.5 (4.28) |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
72 | 74 | 72 | 65 | 63 | 70 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 73 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 269.4 | 228.6 | 230.8 | 276.0 | 322.4 | 310.9 | 281.5 | 275.6 | 276.3 | 284.6 | 257.5 | 259.8 | 3,273.4 |
Source 1: NOAA (all but average maximum, 1980–1990)[27] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: www.world-climates.com (average maximum)[28] |
See also
- Al Batinah Region
- Eastern Arabia
- List of cities in Oman
- Sohar Airport, the airport which serves the city
References
- ^ JSTOR 1794758.
- ^ JSTOR 41223137.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-51033-3, retrieved 2024-01-11
- ISBN 978-9-0041-5863-4. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "Tourist Information". Port of Sohar. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- ^ "timesofoman.com". timesofoman.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ "The sultanate of Oman is taking a kicking". The Economist. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ISBN 9004082654.
- ^ Leech, Nick (2015-10-22). "The long read: has a lost Arab capital been found on the Oman-UAE border?". The National. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-487-15390-2.
- ^ "قلعة صحار التاريخية .. بوابة عُمان الشمالية في سنوات الحروب في الأزمنة الغابرة". الوطن. Archived from the original on 2020-07-21.
- ^ Dionisius, A. Agius (2005). Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman: People of the Dhow. Routledge. pp. 76–77.
- ^ Bocarro, António (1635). Livro das plantas de todas as fortalezas, cidades e povoaçoens do Estado da India Oriental (in Portuguese).
- ^ a b "Deaths in Oman protests". Al Jazeera. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Oman protests resume". Al Jazeera. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Hutchison Ports". Hutchison Ports. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
- ^ "Sohar Aluminum Smelter Project Makes First 'Hot Metal'". www.bechtel.com. Bechtel. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "Welcome to Sohar University, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman". Soharuni.edu.om. 2020-05-02. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^ "College of Applied Sciences - Sohar". Jul 30, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "OMC - Introduction". Oct 6, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-06. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "Guide To House Rentals". www.imcoman.net. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "The Al Batinah International School | A leading IB School in the heart of Oman". abisoman.com. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "INDIAN SCHOOL SOHAR". www.indianschoolsohar.com. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar inaugurated". The Times of Oman. 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ "Sultan Qaboos Gand Mosque Opens in Sohar". Atheer. 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ "Visit The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque In Sohar". Oman Magazine. 2019-06-02. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ "Majis Climate Normals 1980–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "Sohar Climate". www.world-climates.com. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
Further reading
- Fiorani Piacentini, Valeria. "Sohar and the Daylamī Interlude (356–443/967–1051)". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 35 (2005): 195–206. JSTOR 41219377
- Wilkinson, J. C. "Suhar (Sohar) in the Early Islamic Period: The Written Evidence". South Asian Archaeology (1979): 887–907.
External links
- Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Overview at Encyclopedia Britannica