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48-496: It was a predecessor settlement to Ras Al Khaimah , today in the United Arab Emirates , and, although often conflated with the 17th century emergence of the modern city of Ras Al Khaimah, represents a distinct era of human settlement and development from that of the modern city. Julfar's rise, eflorescence and fall took place between 1300-1650 CE. Julfar's predecessor settlement was the fortified port of Kush , established in

96-492: A factor . (Earlier, Gonçalo had travelled with the 1500 fleet of Pedro Álvares Cabral .) In 1502, Gonçalo was transferred to Cannanore , and Barbosa went with him. There, Barbosa learned Malayalam , the local language. Barbosa served as the interpreter for Alfonso de Albuquerque 's contact with the Rajah of Cannanore the next year (1503). In 1513, Barbosa signed a letter to King Manuel I of Portugal as Clerk of Cannanore, claiming

144-448: A fact that led to the extensive agricultural development of the areas inland of Julfar. The abundance of coinage found at Julfar dating to this period also supports the idea of a period of intense and lucrative regional trade. Situated to the north of the Gulf's extensive pearl banks, Julfar as a centre for the export of pearls would also be linked to its role as a regional centre of trade between

192-511: A major trading centre has been linked to the emergence of Hormuz in the 14th and 15th centuries. The 'Hormuzi boom' of the time followed the occupation of the island of Jarun in the Strait of Hormuz by Mahmud Qalhati and his people and its subsequent emergence as a global trading hub. Hormuz was entirely without sweet water and largely without food production resources and it is likely that Julfar provided pearls, food and water to meet demand at Hormuz,

240-566: A major trading entrepôt but also as one of the most excavated sites in the Gulf. These digs, organised by the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Antiquities and Museums, brought in teams from the UK, France, Germany and Japan. Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah ( Arabic : رَأْس ٱلْخَيْمَة ), often referred to its initials RAK is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in

288-399: A producer of raw ingredients for insulin in 2012. In 2022, Ras Al Khaimah announced a $ 3.9 billion project, Wynn Al Marjan Island, which is likely to open in 2027. The resort was being established in collaboration with Wynn Resorts , whose CEO Craig Billings confirmed that it will include a 224,000 sq. ft. “casino component”. For its 40% stake, Wynn Resorts contributed $ 900 million, while

336-512: A sizable tell, which revealed remnants of a Sassanid era fortification, indicate that early Julfar was located at the settlement of Kush in the north of the present city of Ras Al Khaimah, not far from other sites of historical and archaeological interest such as the Pre-Islamic fort, 'Sheba's Palace' ( Shimal Fort ). One of Ras Al Khaimah's most celebrated sons, Ibn Majid , was a hugely influential seaman, navigator and cartographer, and there

384-466: A trading centre, but also evidenced at Kush and other inland sites, Julfar ware pottery is a coarse ceramic manufactured at a number of sites inland of Julfar. It has been widely found in the Gulf and Western Indian Ocean , a testament to strong regional trade. Significant excavations of a mosque at Julfar have taken place, supporting a view of several phases of the town's development, from its establishment in

432-512: Is a very great fishery as well of seed-pearls as of large pearls, and the Moors of Ormus come hither to buy them and carry them to India and many other lands. The trade of this place brings in a great revenue to the King of Ormus … Beyond these Profam villages are others along the coast, one of which is a large place called Reçoyma [Ras al-Khaimah]." Other travellers mentioning Julfar at this time included

480-475: Is also supported by a lack of Chinese Swatow ware at Al Mataf, but finds of that style of porcelain in Ras Al Khaimah to the south. Swatow dates to the late 16th century, suggesting the abandonment of Julfar and a movement of the population and trade of Julfar to the town of Ras Al Khaimah emerging as a new centre to the south. A decline in imported porcelain, as well as locally made 'Julfar ware' pottery supports

528-594: Is divided into six dedicated zones: The city is the headquarters of RAK Ceramics , a global ceramics manufacturer. The company produces 123 million square meters of tiles and 5 million pieces of sanitaryware every year. It employs 12,000 employees and is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in the United Arab Emirates and on the Dhaka Stock Exchange in Bangladesh . Its annual turnover

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576-475: Is estimated at $ 1 billion. Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries is a pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in the MENA region and headquartered in the city of Ras Al Khaimah. The company, also known under the name of Julphar , employs 5,000 people and distributes its products to 50 countries. It divides its activities between three units: Julphar Diabetes Solutions, General Medicines and Julphar Life. The company became

624-560: Is evidence in his writing that the town he came from was at that time known as Ras Al Khaimah, that town having eclipsed Julfar as the principal port and settlement of the Shimal coast. In the early 18th century, the Qawasim (singular Al Qasimi) established themselves in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah on the Arabian Peninsula , growing to become a significant maritime force with holdings on both

672-587: The Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands, administered by the Al Qasimi. By the morning of 14 November, the military expedition was over and the British forces returned to their ships, having suffered light casualties of five killed and 34 wounded. Arab losses are unknown, but were probably significant, while the damage done to the Al Qasimi fleets was severe: a significant portion of their vessels had been destroyed. Following

720-517: The United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city had a population of 400,000 in 2023, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai , Abu Dhabi , Sharjah , Al Ain and Ajman . The city is divided by a creek into two parts: old town in the west and Al Nakheel in the east. The town is the successor to the Islamic era port and trading hub of Julfar . The name Ras Al Khaimah translates to "the headland of

768-523: The manumission he was entitled to according to Magellan's will made before departure, Duarte Barbosa or João Serrão then threatened to enslave him to Magellan's widow. The fear of Enrique has since been considered an argument for him conspiring with Rajah Humabon . On 1 May   1521 all were invited by the rajah to a banquet ashore near Cebu , the Philippines, to receive a gift for the king of Spain. There Barbosa and many others were killed. João Serrão

816-499: The 'Lion of the Sea', in 1432 - a time that corresponds with the town's emergence as a major maritime and mercantile hub. It is at this point that evidence emerges for a decline in Julfar's importance and population, leading to its abandonment in the late 16th century, including a lack of pottery finds of Chinese blue and white porcelain that can be securely dated to a post-1575 period. This dating

864-463: The 'impregnable' hill-top fort of Dhayah . The British landed a force at Rams on 18 December, which fought its way inland through date plantations to Dhayah Fort on the 19th. There, 398 men and another 400 women and children held out, without sanitation, water or effective cover from the sun, for three days under heavy fire from mortars and 12-pound cannon. The two 24-pound cannon from HMS Liverpool which had been used to bombard Ras Al Khaimah from

912-445: The 13th and 17th century AD. The two centres are situated on two sandbanks protecting a lagoon southwest of the palm gardens (Mataf to the north, Nudud to the south). Archaeological excavations recorded areesh structures built from palm fronds in the lowest levels, before mud brick and stone buildings appeared by the end of the 14th century. It is now considered likely that Nudud was settled before Mataf, before being briefly abandoned in

960-568: The 14th century and then re-occupied with the subsequent expansion of Mataf. The foundation of Julfar has been dated to the early-mid 14th century, as a small and basic settlement of palm frond huts that subsequently expanded during the 15th and 16th centuries into a town of considerable importance. The early population fished and likely pearled, but also farmed the interior, benefiting from the same access to land and sea that had characterised Julfar's predecessor, Kush. Sequences of occupation at Julfar include finds of early Chinese porcelain dated to

1008-413: The 14th century through periods of growth into the 16th century, when the mosque underwent a number of expansions as a mud brick building and then an extensive reconstruction in stone and mortar. Finds support the peak of Julfar's growth and development to sit between the early 15th and early 16th centuries, with the emergence of considerable - and apparently planned - urban development. At this stage, Julfar

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1056-405: The 14th century, post holes and ovens and then the development of mud brick buildings and defined streets, courtyard houses and evidence of dense occupation as the town developed into the 15th century. Julfar was protected on its three landward sides by a city wall, some 1.5 metres thick. The whole area of plantation to the hinterland of the town - something like 85% of the arable land available to

1104-494: The 16th century decline of Julfar as a trading entrepôt and also as a settlement. However, more recent research pushes this date back to a period of decline following Persian and Omani incursions into Julfar in 1633. The dissonance between contemporary written sources and the archaeology at Julfar has been reconciled by historians postulating that the name Julfar persisted during the emergence of Ras Al Khaimah as an alternative settlement, acquiring its new name over time as Julfar

1152-491: The 1809 campaign, an 1815 arrangement was made between the British and the Al Qasimi. However, by 1819 it was clear the arrangement had broken down and so in November of that year, the British embarked on a second expedition against the Al Qasimi at Ras Al Khaimah, led by Major-General William Keir Grant . The force gathered off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah on 25 and 26 November and, on 2 and 3 December, troops were landed south of

1200-406: The 5th century and finally abandoned in the 13th century. Once enjoying protected maritime access thanks to its lagoon, the waterway to Kush silted up leading to the establishment of Julfar on the coast. This process of abandonment was gradual and Kush remained a key administrative and commercial centre even as Julfar was established. The medieval port of Julfar was settled at Mataf and Nudud between

1248-552: The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and surrounding areas. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport serves the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The city of Ras Al Khaimah is home to the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) that helps connect investors and international markets. It operates an online client portal called Portal 360. The zone services businesses ranging from freelancers to SMEs and start-ups across 50 industries. RAKEZ

1296-533: The Persian and Arabian coasts that frequently came into conflict with British flagged shipping. In the aftermath of a series of attacks against shipping sailing under Omani flags and following 1809 monsoon season, the British mounted the Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 against Ras Al Khaimah, in which the Al Qasimi fleet was largely destroyed. The British operation continued to Lingeh on the Persian coast which was, like

1344-465: The Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral and Italian traveller Ludovico di Varthema . Julfar's prominent role in the region's pearl trade was by now so great that Portuguese conquistador Pedro Texeira postulated the origin of the Portuguese word for pearl, aljofar , originated with the name Al Julfar. Julfar was the birthplace of celebrated seafarer, navigator and cartographer Ahmad Ibn Majid ,

1392-701: The Portuguese in turn had faced competition from the Ottomans , Persians ,the Dutch , English and French . It was to lead to the emergence of new powers in the Persian Gulf, not least of which would be the Qawasim of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah , ranged against the English and their ally, the Sultan of Muscat . The potential existence of a site at Julfar was first outlined by British archaeologist Beatrice di Cardi in 1968 during an extensive survey of Ras Al Khaimah that also identified

1440-610: The city is around 115,949 (2021), and it is the largest city in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah . It is the 6th most populous city in the UAE. Other than Arabic government-funded schools, the city is home to Ras Al Khaimah Academy , Wellspring School , and other Indian schools. Higher education institutions in the city include the Higher Colleges of Technology , Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University , American University of Ras Al Khaimah and many other colleges. The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority currently serves

1488-593: The landward side were once again pressed into use and dragged across the plain from Rams, a journey of some four miles. Each of the guns weighed over 2 tonnes. After enduring two hours of sustained fire from the big guns, which breached the fort's walls, the last of the Al Qasimi surrendered at 10.30 on the morning of 22 December. In January 1820, the British imposed the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 signed by Sheikh Sultan Bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Sharjah who

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1536-468: The links between the Barbosa and Magellan families. On 10 August 1519 Duarte Barbosa sailed from Seville on Magellan's voyage of circumnavigation, along with his friend João Serrão . His curiosity led him to leave the expedition for the company of locals several times during the voyage, to Magellan's annoyance. Magellan even came to arrest him. On 2   April   1520, however, the help of Duarte Barbosa

1584-589: The mainland and Hormuz. Direct Hormuzi control over Julfar was likely exercised in the 1520s and the Hormuzis are credited with the construction of the stone mosque. Julfar is mentioned by Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa as a major entrepot, and Barbosa (writing in 1518) also mentions Julfar's successor settlement, Ras Al Khaimah - evidence of a period of contiguity: "Passing above this place Profam [Khor Fakkan], we come to another called Julfar , where dwell persons of worth, great navigators and wholesale dealers. Here

1632-649: The position of master-clerk, and the year after that (1514), Afonso de Albuquerque used Barbosa's position as an interpreter to attempt to convert the King of Kochi. In 1515, Albuquerque sent Barbosa to Kozhikode to oversee the construction of two ships that would serve on an expedition to the Red Sea under the new governor. Barbosa returned to Portugal and completed his manuscript, Book of Duarte Barbosa . According to Italian writer Giovanni Battista Ramusio 's preface, Barbosa completed his manuscript in 1516 with detailed accounts of foreign cultures. Previously known only through

1680-510: The project was quietly progressing to target foreign travelers and reshape the region’s tourism. The city is home to football teams Emirates Club and Ras Al Khaimah Club , which have both competed in the UAE Top Division . Notable people from Ras Al Khaimah include Duarte Barbosa Duarte Barbosa (c. 1480 – 1 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He

1728-624: The remaining amount was financed by the Ras Al Khaimah government. The UAE has no laws to legalize gaming or gambling equipment. However, the country established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), in September 2023. The GCGRA granted a “Commercial Gaming Facility Operator” license to Wynn Resorts, in October 2024. Given the country’s Sharia laws, gambling is completely prohibited for local citizens. But,

1776-467: The sites at Khatt and Kush. Di Cardi noted an area of the coast littered with Ming era porcelain and other pottery. The first excavations took place at Al Nudud in 1973/4 by an Iraqi team, with a subsequent investigation carried out in 1977/8 by John Hansman, who published his discoveries in Julfar - An Arabian Port . A number of excavations then took place between 1988-1994 that not only established Julfar as

1824-582: The tent". Khaimah means tent but also refers to the palm frond houses or areesh that were common in the area. Ras Al Khaimah has been the site of continuous human habitation for 7,000 years, with archaeological finds dating back to the Neolithic . The northern area of the city today known as Ras Al Khaimah was previously the location of the important Islamic era settlement and port of Julfar. Archaeological evidence has demonstrated that Julfar shifted location over time as harbour channels silted up. Excavations of

1872-690: The testimony of Ramusio, the original manuscript was discovered and published in the early nineteenth century in Lisbon, Portugal . Displeased by his position, Barbosa joined several Portuguese meeting in Seville in southern Spain. Diogo had followed D. Álvaro of Braganza into exile in Seville where Álvaro had become mayor, where Diogo became governor of the castle of Seville. In 1516 Ferdinand Magellan moved to Seville and befriended Diogo, both having traveled to India. Soon Magellan married Barbosa's sister Beatriz, becoming Duarte Barbosa's brother in law, strengthening

1920-471: The town - was protected by the Wadi Sur , a 7 km wall between the shore and the mountains interspersed with watchtowers at regular intervals and terminating at the 11th-century Shimal Fort (also known locally as 'Sheba's Palace'). The 5 metre high and 2 metre thick Wadi Sur wall and its 2.5 metre deep and 3.5 metre wide ditch were likely constructed in the 14th century. Associated with the emergence of Julfar as

1968-459: The town and set up batteries of guns and mortars and, on 5 December, the town was bombarded from both land and sea for a period of four days, until, on 9 December, the fortress and town of Ras Al Khaimah were stormed and found to be practically deserted. On the fall of Ras Al Khaimah, three cruisers were sent to blockade Rams to the North and this, too was found to be deserted and its inhabitants retired to

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2016-504: Was a scrivener in a feitoria in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam . Barbosa wrote the Book of Duarte Barbosa ( Portuguese : Livro de Duarte Barbosa ) c. 1516, making it one of the earliest examples of Portuguese travel literature . In 1519, Barbosa embarked on the first expedition to circumnavigate the world , led by his brother-in-law Ferdinand Magellan . Barbosa

2064-411: Was a well-defined urban settlement of some scale with a large mosque, a fort, a town wall and a dense network of streets packed with mudbrick, stone and coral houses. These buildings are believed to have housed a 16th century population of anything up to 70,000 people and to have stretched 5 kilometres along the coast north of Mataf, with the town stretching as far north as Rams . Julfar's development as

2112-660: Was crucial to facing down a riot in Puerto San Julian (Argentina), and thereafter Barbosa become captain of the Victoria . According to Antonio Pigafetta 's account, after Magellan's death on 27   April   1521 at the Battle of Mactan (Philippines), Barbosa was one of the few survivors of the battle and was made co-commander of the expedition along with João Serrão. Barbosa tried to recover Magellan's body without success. He tried to land Enrique of Malacca , but gave up. Despite

2160-576: Was killed in 1521, at a banquet held by Rajah Humabon in the Philippines , a few days after the Battle of Mactan on Cebu Island . Barbosa's father was Diogo Barbosa. Diogo was a servant of Álvaro of Braganza , and in 1501 he went to India in a joint venture with Álvaro, Bartholomeu Marchionni , and the 3rd Portuguese India Armada (captained by João da Nova ). While Diogo was away, Barbosa remained in Kochi with his uncle, Gonçalo Gil Barbosa, who worked as

2208-683: Was re-incorporated into Sharjah; the last governor became its next independent ruler. The last of the Trucial States to join the newly independent United Arab Emirates, on 10 February 1972, Ras Al Khaimah, under the leadership of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi , joined the United Arab Emirates following the Iranian seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs . The population of

2256-631: Was reinstated by the British in Ras Al Khaimah after the deposition of Hassan bin Rahma Al Qasimi . The treaty stipulated the end of piracy and slavery, and laid the foundation for the British protectorate over the Trucial States that lasted until December 1971. A British protectorate from this point forward, as one of the Trucial States , in 1869, Ras Al Khaimah became fully independent from neighbouring Sharjah . From September 1900 to 7 July 1921, it

2304-463: Was wholly abandoned. The idea of a 16th century Portuguese fort at Julfar has also been suggested. However, Julfar's abandonment in favour of settlement in nearby Ras Al Khaimah would likely have been almost total by the time the Portuguese arrived. The abandonment of Julfar and emergence of Ras Al Khaimah took place at a time when Hormuz and the Arab eastern trade network had fallen to the Portuguese and then

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