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MUSKAT See also: town on the See also: south-See also: east See also: coast of See also: Arabia, capital of the province- of See also: Oman
.
Its value as a See also: naval See also: base is derived from its position, which commands the entrance to the Persian Gulf
.
The town of See also: Gwadar, the chief See also: port of See also: Makran, belongs to See also: Muscat, and by arrangement with the sultan the See also: British occupy that port with a telegraph station of the Indo-Persian telegraph service
.
An See also: Indian See also: political residency is established at Muscat
.
In See also: geographical
position it is isolated from the interior of the continent
.
The mountains rise behind it in a rugged See also: wall, across which no road exists
.
It is only from Matrah, a See also: northern suburb shut off by an intervening spur which reaches to the See also: sea, that See also: land communication with the rest of Arabia can be maintained
.
Both Muscat and Matrah are defended from incursions on the land-See also: ward
See also: side by a wall with towers at intervals
.
Muscat See also: rose to importance with the Portuguese occupation of the Persian Gulf, and is noted for the extent of Portuguese ruins about it
.
Two lofty forts, of which the most easterly is called Jalali and the western Merani, occupy the summits of hills on either side the See also: cove overlooking the town; and beyond them on the seaward side are two smaller defensive See also: works called Sirat
.
All these are ruinous
.
A low sandy See also: isthmus connects the See also: rock and fortress of Jalali with the mainland, and upon this isthmus stands the British residency
.
The sultan's palace is a three-storeyedSee also: building near the centre of the town, a relic of Portuguese occupation, called by the See also: Arabs El Jereza, a corruption of Igrezia (See also: church)
.
This
See also: term is probably derived from the See also: chapel once attached to the buildings which formed the Portuguese governor's residence and factory
.
The See also: bazaar is insignificant, and its most considerable See also: trade appears to be in a sweetmeat prepared from the See also: gluten of See also: maize
.
Large quantities of See also: dates are also exported
.
See also: History.—The early history of Muscat is the history of Portuguese ascendancy in the Persian Gulf
.
When See also: Albuquerque first burnt the place after destroying Karyat in 1508, Kalhat was the chief port of the coast and Muscat was comparatively unimportant
.
Kalhat was subsequently sacked and burnt, the See also: great Arab mosque being destroyed, before Albuquerque returned to his See also: ships, " giving many thanks to our See also: Lord." From that date, through 114 years of Portuguese ascendancy, Muscat was held as a naval station and factory during a See also: period of See also: local revolts, Arab incursions, and See also: Turkish invasion by sea; but it was not till 1622, when the Portuguese lost See also: Hormuz, that Muscat became the headquarters of their See also: fleet and the most important place held by them on the Arabian coast
.
In 165o the Portuguese were finally expelled from Oman
.
Muscat had been reduced previously by the humiliating terms imposed upon the garrison by the See also: imam of Oman after a siege in 1648
.
For five years the Persians occupied Oman, but they disappeared in 1741
.
Under the great ruler of Oman, Said See also: ibn Sultan (1804-1856), the fortunes of Muscat attained their See also: zenith; but on his See also: death, when his See also: kingdom was divided and the See also: African possessions were parted from western Arabia, Muscat declined
.
In 1883-1884, when See also: Turki was sultan, the town was unsuccessfully besieged by the Indabayin and Rehbayin tribes, led by Abdul Aziz, the See also: brother of Turki
.
In 1885 ColonelSee also: Miles, See also: resident at Muscat, made a tour through Oman, following the footsteps of Wellsted in 1835, and confirmed that traveller's report of the fertility and See also: wealth of the province
.
In 1898 the French acquired the right to use Muscat as a coaling station
.
See Stiffe, " Trading Ports of Persian Gulf," vol. ix
.
Geog
.
Journal, and the political reports of the Indian See also: government from the Persian Gulf
.
Colonel Miles's explorations in Oman will be found in vol. vii
.
Geog
.
Journal (1896)
.
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