Ras Al Khaimah Customs & Heritage

Ras Al Khaimah Heritage

The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has an impressive archaeological heritage and a very rich history. This area had always enticed settlers with its unique combination of all the four types of landscapes found in different parts of the United Arab Emirates: the fertile plains, the mountainous region, coastal areas and the desert environment. The interaction of these geographical factors and the living style of people have shaped up the very special heritage of the Emirate.

Archaeological excavations and finds have proved that the history of Ras Al Khaimah dates back to the very immemorial past. It reveals that an advanced civilization that carried on trade existed in this region since 5'000 BC.

Ubaid Period (5'500 - 3'800 BC

This is the oldest era known so far in the history of Ras Al Khaimah. Not far from Al Jazeerah Al Hamra, huge ruins of structures and external roofs have been discovered. These ruins are indicative of the early human activities in this area. Moreover some pottery remains, beads, nets and stone implements were also found from the same area. They are a good evidence of the early existence of the Bedouin desert inhabitants who used to live on the coast in the winter. The pottery remains resembled pottery and earthenware pots found in Mesopotamia in the same period. This is living proof of direct trade relations between both areas. In the area of Khatt, excavators have also discovered historical sites that contained granite implements which belonged to the same era.

Haffet Period (3'200 - 2'600 BC)
This era was known for its ruins of graves and burial grounds which were built on high mountains. They were made of local stone and shaped like beehives. Each grave consisted of one or two small rooms. These were discovered in the areas of Khatt, Wadi al-Bih as well as in Wadi al-Qarw.

Umm al-Nar Civilization (2'600 - 2'000 BC)
The Umm al- Nar Civilization existed in the middle of the third millennium BC. It was arguably the most important period in the development of a civilization in the UAE. Evidence suggests that trade between Mesopotamia and the Valley of Inds (south-east of Iran) flourished during the period. These areas together provided a vast and extended network for distant trade especially in high quality pottery which they were famous for.

The period is well known for its round graves whose external walls were built of smooth engraved and polished stones. A grave was divided into rooms to be used for massive burial, in other words they were used for burying generations of dead people. Archaeologists were able to discover the remains of more than one hundred bodies in these graves. The largest grave was found in the Shamal area. One of these graves had a 14.5 meter diameter. A stone on its front had the drawing of a human foot engraved on it. In 1988, another grave was discovered in the Menaie Valley in the northern area of Ras Al Khaimah. Another grave was discovered in Aasama, where significant collections of bronze implements were also found. Among them were arrowheads and daggers.

Wadi Suq Culture Period (2'000 - 1'600 BC)
The most remarkable archaeological finds of this era are the 15 huge graves in the area of Shamal, comprising the biggest cemetery in the prehistoric era. More graves were also discovered in Ghaleelah, Al Qirm, Al Rams, Qarn Al Harf, Khatt and Athan in 1976. Their excavation work and investigations were carried out during 1985-1990. Most of the Wadi Suq graves were huge and were built above the ground. Their foundations were built of limestone. Each grave was the burial place of 30 to 60 bodies. The personal belongings and remnants found in these graves are at present on display in the Ras Al Khaimah National Museum. They include painted cups, cans and indented stone pans, pots with lids, personal jewels (namely beads), metal tools and arms.

Late Bronze Age (1'600 - 1'250 BC)
The second half of the second millennium BC, the late Bronze Age, is known from a settlement in the Shamal area, which has been partly excavated by a German Mission of the University of Goettingen. Built at the foot of the rising mountains, it showed traces of 'arish' style housing, typical of the United Arab Emirates until as recently as 50 years ago. Large amount of shells and fish bones discovered from the area indicate that the people relied on the Creek, which was probably not far away. Dates and animal bones discovered from the area suggest that farming was also common during the period.

Iron Age (1'200 - 300 BC)
The Iron Age here is best known from finds from the southern part of Ras Al Khaimah where a number of graves were discovered. Some of them were oblong with four rooms, others were shaped like a horseshoe and some others were circular in shape. Archaeologists have discovered painted pans and large number of stone engraved decorated pots made of chlorite from them. One of the most significant discoveries was a stone with the drawing of a phoenix engraved on it. The drawing of this imaginary bird resembled those painted in Assyrian palaces in Northern Iraq. In Northern Ras Al Khaimah there are two settlements shaped like hillocks. The settlement in Khatt was discovered in 1968. The other is in Shamal. Both settlements represent life in the northern region in the Iron Age.

The Hellenic and Parthian Era (300 BC -300 AD)
The later pre-Islamic time, the Hellenic and Parthian Period, is also evident in the northern parts. Survey projects launched by the Antiquities and Museums Department have led to the discovery of some historical sites in the northern and southern districts of Ras Al Khaimah. These sites include individual tombs and reused old graves found in Shamal, Asimah and in Wa'ab / Wadi Muna'i.

The Sasanian Occupation Era (300 AD - 632 AD)
The Sasanian occupation of Ras Al Khaimah is now becoming increasingly evident. A team of archaeologists have founded a small site on the island of Hulaylah that was occupied during the Sasanian Period. Recently two other sites were found in Khatt. The most significant discovery of this era during the three-phase exploration campaign was a Sasanian citadel. It was built mainly to have full control over the fertile plains in the north of Ras Al Khaimah. This monument was evacuated when Islam was adopted in the UAE area. For the early as well as for the later Islamic Periods, Ras Al Khaimah is the most important Emirate regarding the archeological heritage. The early centuries of Islam are well presented in Kush and at the island of Hulaylah.

The Abbasids Era (750 - 1'250 AD)
This period of history featured the great unified Islamic Empire and the huge expansion of trade with East Asia. This era was embodied in small areas in the Arabian Gulf. The presence of two of these areas in Ras Al Khaimah helped it to play a great role as a bustling trade route in the early Islamic Era. One of these places was Al Khoush which was a castle abandoned by the Sassans during the Islamic expansion in this area. It was reoccupied by people who lived in it for the next seven centuries. The second place is situated in the Island of Hulaylah. It was a structure made of palm leaves. Its ruins are few and vague, however they are considered to be of great historical importance.