دراسات في تاريخ عمان

istrative importance increased after the advent of Islam، since it became the head-quarters of the governors from the Julunda family. The city still exists as an important port in modern Oman.

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(2) Masqat.1 o If Suhar was a commercial and administrative centre in the early Islamic period، Masqat was an important port، Suhar's exit to the sea. Surrounded by high mountains، it was a natural harbour suitable for ships taking shelter from cyclones and storms، hence al-Bakri called it 'a shelter for ships'. Our information about it as an urban centre، however، is scanty، indicating that it was less important that Suhar in the first/seventh century.

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(3) Daba. This was a market place before Islam، with its market held an- nually at the end of Rajab، under the supervision of the Al Julunda rulers of Oman. Historical traditions call it the misr and the great market of Oman، alluding to its administrative and commercial reputation before Is- lam. However، Suhar superseded Daba- in the Islamic period، although competition between the two cities continued during the early days of Is- lam. The tribes in Daba، led by Laqit al-Azdi، opposed the spreading influ- ence of the Al Julunda. This opposition seems to have been interpreted by the Islamic regime in Medina as a ridda (i.e. apostasy)، and the Caliph Abu Bakr helped the Al Julunda- to overcome it.

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(4) Qalhat 1 o was an ancient town. It flourished a long time before Islam: Malik b. Fahm al-Azdi and his tribe settled there when they emigrated to Oman from the Yemen about the middle of the sixth century A.D. The general chroniclers as well as local historians agree that the Arab Azd col- lided with the Persians who were occupying Oman's coastal plains. Many

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