Sharjah's site added to UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list

Sharjah Archaeology Authority has added a costal network to UNESCO's Tentative List for World Heritage, taking the total number of sites to six.

The Coastal Fortified Network of South Eastern Arabia links Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan and Khor Kalba as a strategic maritime corridor along the Oman Sea.

In its submission, Sharjah World Heritage Office said the site played a vital role in maritime trade, navigation, defence and coastal administration over 2,000 years.

This brings the total number of UAE sites on UNESCO's tentative list to 16.

The move is part of efforts to document, protect and preserve sites of historical and human significance for future generations.

"Every site we study, document and preserve adds a new chapter to our understanding of the history of this land, while offering the world a broader window into the region's role in trade, connectivity and cultural exchange across the centuries," explained Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture and Ambassador of the Faya World Heritage Property.

The costal network

The site dates back to the integration of its ports into Indian Ocean trade network to the era of the Kingdom of Hormuz and Portuguese presence in the 16th and 17th centuries, and culminating under Al Qasimi authority.

Dibba Al-Hisn forms the northern component, occupying a strategic location on Dibba Bay at the southern edge of the Musandam Peninsula. Archaeological excavations at Dibba Fort have revealed successive archaeological layers documenting settlement from the Neolithic period through to the 20th century, alongside the remains of structures associated with production, trade and coastal life. 

The central component - Khor Fakkan - occupies one of the most naturally sheltered harbours along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, where the Hajar Mountains descend directly to the sea to create a protected bay that played a pivotal role in maritime navigation and trade.

Khor Kalba represents the southern component of the serial property and is situated on a sandy coastal plain at the mouth of Kalba Creek, within a broader coastal environment comprising the creek, shallow water bodies, and surrounding mangrove forests.