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Article: Oman and Its Renaissance.
- Article from:
- The Middle East
- Article date:
- February 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 IC Publications Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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For thousands of years Oman lay along the sea trade routes between East and West. The country was the link between Arabia and Africa. From the seventh to the 15th century Oman's maritime trade flourished. Omani sailors were known in the ports of the world; her merchants to seafarers across the globe. However, patterns changed and when steam eventually supplanted sail Oman slipped into neglect. From being a thriving maritime commercial centre, Oman gradually became an isolated backwater, a situation which prevailed for over a century, until the final third of the 20th century.
The beginning of a period of vast change which would result in the complete ...