Khasab
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Khasab
|other_name =
|native_name = {{Nobold|خصب}}
|native_name_lang = ar
|nickname =
|settlement_type = Town
|motto =
|image_skyline =Khasab central square.JPG
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Central square of Khasab
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|mapsize =
|map_caption =
|pushpin_map = Oman#Persian Gulf
|pushpin_label_position = left
|pushpin_relief = yes
|pushpin_mapsize =
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Oman
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{OMN}}
|subdivision_type1 = Governorate
|subdivision_name1 = Musandam Governorate
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|population_as_of = 2020
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|population_total = 21,651
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|timezone = GST
|utc_offset = +4
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|coordinates = {{coord|26|11|N|56|15|E|region:OM|display=inline}}
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File:Persian Gulf Pt8.png in the Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th century. Main cities, ports and routes.]]
Khasab ({{langx|ar|خَصَب|Ḫaṣab}}) is a town and capital of the Musandam Governorate which is an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula by the Strait of Hormuz. It has been dubbed the "Norway of Arabia" because of its extensive fjord-like craggy inlets and desolate mountainscapes.{{citation |url=http://www.omanair.aero/wy/oman_air_holidays/destinations/oman/holidays_khasab.htm |title=Khasab |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831081225/http://www.omanair.aero/wy/oman_air_holidays/destinations/oman/holidays_khasab.htm |archive-date=2009-08-31 |publisher=Oman Air |access-date=November 11, 2009}}{{citation |url=http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2006/09/28/22506/musandam-is-a-glimpse-of-the-real-arabia.html |title=Musandam is a glimpse of the real Arabia |publisher=Travel Weekly |date=September 28, 2006 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=January 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125191320/http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2006/09/28/22506/musandam-is-a-glimpse-of-the-real-arabia.html |url-status=dead }}{{citation |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/diary.asp?fodname=20040202&authorname=Tim+Irwin&subsubsecname=Dubai |title=A Mountain Of Thirst |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221065201/http://www.outlookindia.com/diary.asp?fodname=20040202&authorname=Tim+Irwin&subsubsecname=Dubai |archive-date=2006-02-21 |publisher=Outlook |date=February 2, 2004 |access-date=November 11, 2009}}
The town is surrounded by the northern mountains of the Western Hajar Range.{{cite book |last1=Lancaster |first1=Fidelity |last2=Lancaster |first2=William |title=Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighbouring Regions |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |pages=3–598 |isbn=978-3-1102-2339-2 |location=Berlin, New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Le0Ryxzh7cQC&q=ru%27us+al-jibal+musandam+western+hajar |year=2011 |archive-date=2021-01-04 |access-date=2019-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104192456/https://books.google.com/books?id=Le0Ryxzh7cQC&q=ru%27us+al-jibal+musandam+western+hajar |url-status=live }} Khasab has a fully functional hospital and several hotels, beaches and parks across the city. The city's population is dominated by ethnic Omanis from the mainland. Khasab also has a fort which is known as Khasab Fort. The sea port is dominated by the dhows which take tourists for a cruise across the natural, dry "fjords".
The town is a popular tourist spot for residents of the UAE as the Khasab - Tibat road provides access to the town from the UAE by connecting with the E11 Highway in the UAE side. The town can also be accessed by the ferry which is maintained by the Government. The ferries are modern.{{cite web |title=Fleet |url=http://www.nfc.om/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=470 |website=National Ferries Company |access-date=11 July 2019}}
History
The Portuguese built a fort at Khasab at the beginning of the 17th century, at the height of their naval presence in the region. The natural harbour gave shelter from rough seas. Unlike many forts, which were built on high ground for defensive purposes, Khasab fort was designed as a supply point for dates and water for Portuguese ships sailing through the strait. Today, Khasab is protected from floods by three large dams.{{citation |last=Wells |first=Rhona |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Norway+of+Arabia:+Rhona+Wells+travelled+to+Musandam,+which...-a0113897766 |title=The Norway of Arabia |publisher=The Middle East |date=February 1, 2004 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=June 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625164839/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Norway+of+Arabia:+Rhona+Wells+travelled+to+Musandam,+which...-a0113897766 |url-status=live }}
Economy
Access to the area by land was virtually impossible until a modern coast road was built, which allows fast access from the United Arab Emirates, making Khasab a popular weekend destination for people living in the Emirates. The new road also allows access to the village of Tawi, where prehistoric drawings of boats, animals and warriors can be seen in the rock face. Khasab also has a number of modern shopping areas with imported Irani goods and locally created pottery, and a few hotels, including the Khasab Hotel, Atana Musandam Resort and Atana Khasab Hotel, which sits on a cliff overlooking the Persian Gulf.{{citation |last=Karim |first=Rose Yasmin |url=http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/2/21/lifetravel/3186492&sec=lifetravel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224094820/http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/2/21/lifetravel/3186492&sec=lifetravel |archive-date=2009-02-24 |title=Fjords & flippers |work=The Star |date=February 21, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009}}
Khasab has an interesting trading position, which hinges on its proximity to Iran. Iranians export sheep and goats into the local port, from where the animals are dispatched to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in trucks. On their return trip to the Islamic Republic, the sailors load their boats up with electronic goods and American cigarettes, arriving in Khasab after sunrise and leaving before sunset to conform with Omani immigration laws. Since the trading is illegal under Iranian law, they must avoid the Islamic Republic's coastguard as well as all other shipping in the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The crossing is hazardous since the vessels, piled high either with livestock or with numerous boxes must avoid the path of the scores of oil-tankers which pass through the Strait in a transverse direction daily. Recent increases of United States' sanctions against Iran have increased the amount of smuggling done through Khasab.{{cite news |last=Al Shaibany |first=Saleb |url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/us-sanctions-help-omani-fishermen-survive-as-smugglers |title=US sanctions help Omani fishermen survive as smugglers |publisher=The National |date=November 1, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=June 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606144218/http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/us-sanctions-help-omani-fishermen-survive-as-smugglers |url-status=live }}
=Tourism=
File:Telegraph Island, Kasab, Oman.jpg. Dhow tours from Khasab take visitors to these remains of the former British telegraph station.]]
Dhows from Khasab take tourists on trips to view the dolphins common in the waters around the Musandam, as well as to visit the fjords and Telegraph Island. For a short time (between 1865 and 1868) Telegraph Island was the site of a staffed telegraph repeater station on the cable section between Bahrain and Bombay;{{cn|date=January 2019}} it is currently undergoing redevelopment.
Khasab is the site of the world's longest overwater zip-line, at 1.8km long and speeds of up to 80kph.{{cite news |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/454382-longest-zip-wire-over-water | title=Longest zip wire over water |newspaper=Guinness World Records |access-date=17 December 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.gulfbuzz.com/oman-opens-its-longest-zip-line-in-khasab-to-public/ | title=Khasab: Oman Opens Its Longest Zip Line In Khasab To Public |newspaper=GulfBuzz |access-date=17 December 2024}}
Climate
Khasab has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with very hot and humid summers and mild winters. Precipitation is low, and mostly falls from December to March.
On 27 June 2011 Khasab Airport recorded the world calendar day highest minimum temperature of {{convert|41.2|°C|°F}}, until Death Valley, California, United States, broke the record by 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) to record {{convert|41.7|C|F|1}} on 12 July 2012.{{citation |title=June 2011 Global Weather Extremes Summary |url=http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/article.html?entrynum=32 |publisher=Weather Underground |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=September 8, 2011 |archive-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701222233/http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/article.html?entrynum=32 |url-status=dead }} On 17 June 2017, Khasab recorded the highest night-time low temperature of {{convert|44.2|°C}}.{{cite web|last1=Masters|first1=Jeff|author-link1=Jeff Masters|title=A World Record Low Humidity? 116°F With a 0.36% Humidity in Iran|url=https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/world-record-low-humidity-116f-036-humidity-iran|website=Weather Underground|access-date=29 June 2017|date=22 June 2017|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142528/https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/world-record-low-humidity-116f-036-humidity-iran|url-status=live}}
{{Weather box
|location = (Khasab Airport) (1991–2020 normals and extremes 2005–2022)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 30.8
|Feb record high C = 32.0
|Mar record high C = 37.5
|Apr record high C = 43.0
|May record high C = 46.2
|Jun record high C = 49.0
|Jul record high C = 47.7
|Aug record high C = 47.5
|Sep record high C = 44.0
|Oct record high C = 41.4
|Nov record high C = 36.0
|Dec record high C = 31.0
|Jan high C = 24.3
|Feb high C = 26.0
|Mar high C = 30.0
|Apr high C = 35.7
|May high C = 39.9
|Jun high C = 41.3
|Jul high C = 41.4
|Aug high C = 41.0
|Sep high C = 39.0
|Oct high C = 36.2
|Nov high C = 30.7
|Dec high C = 26.4
| year high C =
|Jan mean C = 20.7
|Feb mean C = 22.3
|Mar mean C = 25.8
|Apr mean C = 31.1
|May mean C = 35.4
|Jun mean C = 36.8
|Jul mean C = 37.5
|Aug mean C = 37.1
|Sep mean C = 35.0
|Oct mean C = 32.1
|Nov mean C = 26.7
|Dec mean C = 22.4
| year mean C =
|Jan low C = 16.6
|Feb low C = 18.3
|Mar low C = 21.6
|Apr low C = 26.8
|May low C = 30.7
|Jun low C = 32.5
|Jul low C = 33.7
|Aug low C = 33.4
|Sep low C = 31.3
|Oct low C = 27.9
|Nov low C = 22.7
|Dec low C = 18.3
| year low C =
|Jan record low C = 10.5
|Feb record low C = 10.0
|Mar record low C = 10.0
|Apr record low C = 15.5
|May record low C = 21.5
|Jun record low C = 25.0
|Jul record low C = 23.8
|Aug record low C = 27.0
|Sep record low C = 22.0
|Oct record low C = 16.0
|Nov record low C = 12.0
|Dec record low C = 8.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 44.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 49.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 46.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 8.8
|May precipitation mm = 1.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 0.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 0.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 2.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 32.1
|Jan humidity = 63
|Feb humidity = 66
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 53
|May humidity = 60
|Jun humidity = 63
|Jul humidity = 66
|Aug humidity = 70
|Sep humidity = 69
|Oct humidity = 63
|Nov humidity = 61
|Dec humidity = 62
|source 1 =NOAA (precipitation and humidity 1961–1990){{Cite FTP |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/OM/41240.TXT
|server = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = Khasab Climate Normals 1961-1990
|access-date = January 15, 2013}}
|source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/worldclimate/graphs.php?climate=9120&code=41241
|title= KHASAB AIRPORT Climate: 1991–2020
|publisher=Starlings Roost Weather
|access-date= 25 December 2024}}
}}
Gallery
File:Khasab Oman.JPG
File:Khasab1.jpg
File:Persian gulf scene from kasab mountian route.jpg
File:A scene Kasab to Ras-al-Khaima.jpg
File:A beach scene from kasab.JPG
File:A scene from kasab route.jpg|A picture of the Khasab Coastal Road
File:khasab view.jpg
File:Dolphin-Musandam 2.jpg|Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin off Khasab
File:KHASAB HARBOR OMAN 2024.jpg|Khasab Harbor, with Atana Khasab Hotel in foreground and station for over-sea zipline
See also
{{Portal|Oman}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MZAQkLuAos Dolphins in Khasab, Musandam, Oman Tour] (YouTube)
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxvGBgRRSK8 Khasab Mussandam coastal road on motorcycles]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XMc1NEb5oc Dhow cruise and snorkeling in Khasab, Musandam peninsula, Oman]
{{Commons category|Khasab}}
{{Wikivoyage|Khasab}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khasab}}
{{Musandam Governorate}}