Al-Baleed Archaeological Park should not be confused with Zafar, Yemen.
| Al-Baleed Archaeological Park | |
| Native Name: | البليد |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Map Type: | Oman |
| Location: | Salalah, Dhofar, Oman |
| Region: | Arabia |
| Type: | city |
| Part Of: | Land of Frankincense |
| Built: | 6th century |
| Abandoned: | 17th century |
| Excavations: | 1952–present |
Al-Baleed Archaeological Park is an archaeological park located in Al Balīd (Arabic: البليد) of Salalah, Dhofar, Oman. It is a part of the Land of Frankincense in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.[1]
The ruins in the park belong to the medieval city of Ẓafār/Ẓufār (Arabic: ظفار) which also covers the adjacent area in Ar Rubāṭ (Arabic: الرباط). Ẓafār/Ẓufar, from which the Dhofar Governorate got its name,[2] acted as an important port for frankincense trade after the decline of the nearby port in Khor Rori.[3] [4] It is sometimes associated with Sapphara Metropolis mentioned by ancient Greek/Roman authors,[5] but this name more likely refers to the ancient Himyarite city with the same name.[6]
It was visited by many famous travellers, such as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Ibn al-Mujawir and Zheng He.[7] The city declined in the 16th–17th centuries due to various reasons such as the closure of the lake Khawr al Balīd (which used to be a bay) and Portuguese/Turkish/Mamluk invasion.
The park also contains the Museum of the Land of Frankincense.