Julfar

Introduction

Julfar is a historical town that was located in the Middle East region. It was specifically located where the United Arab Emirates stand during the present times. Therefore, the town has a deep relationship with the country, United Arabs Emirates (UAE). In fact, Julfar stood where there is the state of Ras al-Khaimah, which is one of the wealthiest states that make up UAE. Julfar has a long history in that the town was situated in an archaeologically wealthy position. The geographical area of the town had several archaeological sites that in one way or another contributed to its rising. The town had developed into a big urbanization center whereby it had two phases of growth. The first phase was its initiation whereby the town lay in the north eastern part of the lagoon commonly known as the al-Matt. The second phase was in the south western part of the lagoon known as the Ras al-Khaimah. This essay aims at explaining the rise and the demise of Julfar and the importance of Julfar to the history of Emirati.

The Rise and Demise of Julfar

Julfar was a town that flourished considerably in the Middle East region. The success of the town in terms of growth was a key factor in opening up of the region. The town was discovered in the fourteenth century where the archaeological artifacts in the region were the main reason for its growth. The availability of the archaeology in the region attracted people to the area and as a result a settlement was created in the location. For instance, the al-Mataf region had archaeological artifacts that attracted people to come to study them and also see them. The increase in interest of people in the region made the locals in the al-Mataf area to create an archaeological site within it. In addition, there was a historical center in the region nearby whereby people visited to see historical artifacts. The nearby region was Kush, which had archaeological artifacts and other historical information sources that were crucial for the growth of Julfar. Therefore, the archaeological evidences from the region were a crucial pillar for the rise of Julfar town.

The town has been geographically positioned in a favorable location. The town was located in the north eastern region of a silt lagoon. The positioning of the town favored its rise because it was at a strategic location. The lagoon provided a secure location for the siting of the town. Most importantly, the lagoon provided a long visual ability for the protection of the town. Therefore, safeguarding the town was a simple task with the lagoon.

The geographical setting of the town was also sentimental for the rise of the town because the region had an availability of basic commodities. Although the location of the town was an arid region, the location was favorable for water tapping. The plains of the town were alluvial that had a huge outwash fan of Wadi al-Bih, which collected the rain water from the mountains above the fan. Therefore, the town had adequate water sufficient for its growth. Therefore, the geographical positioning of the town was favorable for it to rise.

For the maintenance of the population of the town, the lagoons in the area provided food resources. The lagoons in the area formed a natural shelter for ships. The ships favored the growth of the town because at times food could be brought by the ships to the region. In addition, the water tapped by the lagoons could provide water for farming. The people in the area had large palm gardens. As a result of the provision of food for the settlement in the area, Julfar town developed into a strong town. Therefore, the lagoon played the main role in the rise and control of Julfar town.

Furthermore, the rise of Julfar was initiated by the attraction of settlements to the region by the geographical factors. The settlements in Julfar played a main role because the settlement provided labor and skills for the development of Julfar. The settlement was crucial for the rise of the town. Mainly, the settlers in the area lived in the region because they could access water as a basic need. Therefore, the settlements were sentimental for the development of the region.

Considering the fact that the settlement marked the first step in the rise of Julfar, the pattern in which the settlement settled was a key factor in the rise of Julfar. The settlements in Julfar were arranged in a pattern around the water sources. The pattern was referred to as an oasis settlement whereby the settlement pattern made the rise of the town more favorable. The pattern of the settlement was dispersed inside the palm gardens. The typical settlement pattern was maintained in the region until the twentieth century whereby the town began developing its infrastructure. It began with the construction of social infrastructures such as the Friday mosque and later came up with the other infrastructures. The settlements around the pal garden areas of Shimal were the core of Julfar. The settlements formed the largest Middle Bronze Age settlement within the United Arab Emirates. The Bronze Age made the settlement to easily develop Julfar because there were available resources for the development of the town. Therefore, the settlement found it favorable to develop the region due to the available resources.

 The settlements in Julfar increased to large numbers. Even though the settlement was dispersed, the households carried a large number of people. As a result, the settlement caused the disappearance of the north eastern lagoon due to excessive excavations in search of archaeological artifacts in al-Mataf. The lagoon and the palm gardens acted as the backbones for the settlements in the Bronze Age. The two backbones continued to support Julfar’s settlement for a period of about two millennia whereby thereafter, interest shifted to Kush region. Julfar continued to show its rise even after founding of Kush with similar archaeological resources.

The founding of Kush, however, created a transition of Julfar. The transition created a second rise for Julfar. The second phase specifically involved expansion of Julfar to the Kush region. Excavations of archaeological formed the early Julfar Kush settlement to start settling in the area. The settlement for a pattern referred to as the harbor and oasis settlement. Kush formed a focal point for the settlement serving as an administrative, commercial and porting center. The services offered in Kush created a huge population into the region. The large settlement made a conversion of the name of the region to Julfar from the beginning of the Islamic era.

The rise of Julfar in the second phase was characterized by fundamental development projects. A tower was erected to safeguard the harbor. The authorities of the town also authorized construction of the town’s wall to enhance security. Therefore, the security system for Julfar was enhanced. The palm gardens were extended to this region causing a strong rise of Julfar. Therefore, commercial activities in the town intensified. The combination of the commercial, administrative and agricultural roles of the town created a strong rise for Julfar.

In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, Kush as a town disintegrated. The administrative and commercial roles of the town became useless for the region. Therefore, Kush town had risen only for a span of time. However, the population, which had been in Kush went to the currently al-Mataf region whereby a dense population protected the north eastern lagoon. The population helped to develop Julfar to its peak rise whereby the al-Mataf region was the new phase of Julfar. Al-Mataf developed its administrative and commercial roles conquering the lagoons.

The demise of Julfar began in the 16th century. By the end of the century, al-Mataf town had completely declined. The large buildings in the region ceased to exist. The depletion of resources in the region was the main reason Julfar declined. The continuous siltation in the region caused the end of the lagoons that were elemental for the oasis settlement. Although al-Mataf declined, the name Julfar did not end its meaning. The favor for the rise of Julfar shifted to the south eastern part of the lagoon that was later called the Ras al-Khaimah.

Julfar and Emirati History

Julfar was an important town for the history of Emirati. Julfar town was located in the current UAE locality whereby Emirati derives its history. Julfar was important for Emirati history because it created a basis for the development of Emirati. Julfar acted as the foundation of the current developments in the UAE. For instance, the harbor, which was there in Julfar, is currently used in the UAE. A few developments have been made to the harbor for increase in its efficiency. In addition, the UAE uses the statistics from the history of Julfar to define the possible developments that can be currently incorporated in the country. Therefore, Julfar was elemental for the history of Emirati.

The developments in the rise of Julfar were also important for Emirati’s history. The rise of Julfar was segmented into three phases. The phases have created a sentimental reflection point for the development of UAE. UAE has used the history of Julfar as a guideline for its success. The country picks what is good from the history and applies it for the success of Emirati. On the other hand, Emirati can work on the weaknesses that Julfar had with an aim to develop the current UAE. Therefore, Julfar has proven to be of great importance to the history of Emirati.

Julfar has been crucial for Emirati history whereby the excavations have created a deep archaeological history. The archaeological artifacts, which were excavated in Julfar, have created a tourist attraction in the region. Emirati earns huge revenue from the archaeological sites that have been established. In addition, Julfar remains have also been a tourist attraction. The history, which was made by the rise and the demise of Julfar have created anxiety among people across the globe. Therefore, people have toured the region to view the state of Julfar. As a result, Emirati earns a lump sum of revenue due to the tourists in the region.

The developments in the Julfar town were important for Emirati’s history. The developments of Julfar have acted as a reflecting board for the technological advancements that are currently evident in UAE. The development strategies have simplified the innovation of new technologies in UAE. For instance, the infrastructure technology, which is evident in UAE, is an advancement of the developments in Julfar. Therefore, Julfar is much important for the development of the current Emirati.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Julfar had undergone significant developments in its rise. The rise of Julfar was important because it prove that settlements could be established in the region. However, the demise of Julfar illustrated that the region needs long lasting pillars for the region to effectively develop. The rise and demise of Julfar have created important basic development concepts that have been used to develop Emirati.