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THE EARLY ISLAMIC PERIOD

IN THE UAE622-1258 AD

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SOURCES

Early Islamic Texts Arabic historians/geographers

Archaeology

Dibba (Fuj) Kush (RAK)

Jazirat al Hulayla (RAK)

Jumeirah (Dubai)

Dalma (AUH)

Shimal (RAK)

Suhar (Oman)

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EARLY ISLAMIC PERIODS IN THE UAE

Transitional Period (630-661)

Umayyad Dynasty (661-750)

Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258)

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SASA

NIAN

PERIOD

240-635CE

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TRAN

SITIO

NALPER

IOD

Event Date

Birth of the Prophet 570

Hijra 622

Theumma

conquers Mecca 630Abu Bakrbecomes first caliph 632-634

Umarbecomes caliph 634-644

Conquers Damascus 635

Conquers Jerusalem 637

Conquers Cteshiphon 637

Conquers Babylon 641

Conquers Alexandria 642

Uthman becomes caliph 644-656

compiled Quran

Ali declares himself caliph 656

Struggle between Ali and Muawiya (Shia/Sunni split)

656-661

Assassination of Ali, beginning ofUmayyad

Dynasty

661

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EVENTS OF EARLY ISLAM IN THE UAE(HISTORICAL SOURCES)

Azd tribe in Oman peninsula ruled by Sassanians al-Julanda sub-tribe from Suhar in conflict with Al-`Atik

subtribe from Dibba.

630: al-Julanda invited to join umma

Azd converts to Islam Sassanians reject Islam

Azd attack Sassanian administrators, expel them from Oman

(Mazun)

632: Ridda (Apostasy)

Several Azd subtribes rejected Islam, rebelled against al-Julanda

Abu Bakr sends army from Medina through central Arabia and

around Empty Quarter to support al-Julanda in Oman

Battle at Dibba results in rout of rebels, and return of Azd to

Islam

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DIBBA

CEM

ETERY

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UMAY

YAD

DYNASTY( 6

61- 7

50)

Event Date

Muawiyya 661-680

Second Civil War 680-694

Abd al-Malik regains authority over dar al-Islam

685-705

Walid I 705-715

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ABBA

SI

DDYNASTY

(750-1

258)

Event Date

Abul Abbas 750-754

Abu Ja'far al-Mansur 754-775

Al Maamun 813-833Al Mutasim 833-842

Decline of Abbasid DynastyCa. 900-1258

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UMAYYAD PERIOD-ABBASID PERIOD

705: Abd al Maliks Umayyad force lands at Julfar to

bring Azd under Umayyad control with great

difficulty al-Julanda flee to east Africa

750: Azd reassert independence during Umayyad

decline. Abbasid commander kills Julanda leadership and

10,000 supporters in battle at Julfar

Texts refer to burning of Julanda homes (arish)

From late 9th-13th Century Abbasid decline meant

semi-autonomy of Gulf 10th C growth of towns in RAK

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SIR BANI YAS

Continues into Umayyad period, abandoned before

Abbasid period.

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DALMA

SITE DESCRIPTION

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SITE

CODE

DESCRIPTION

DA1 Late Islamic period Mosque of Muhammad b. Jasim al-Muraykhi, Dalma town.

DA2 Late Islamic period House of Muhammad b. Jasim al-Muraykhi, Dalma town.

DA3 Late Islamic period Al Dawsari mosque (formerly known as the Sa'id Jum'a al-Qubaysi mosque), Dalma town.

DA4 Late Islamic period Al Muhannadi mosque (formerly known as the Sa'id 'Ali al-Qubaysi mosque), Dalma town.

DA5 Islamic period grave, Dalma town.

DA6 Old Dalma settlement, Dalma town.DA7 Islamic graveyard with associated settlement debris, shell middens and pottery scatters, Ghassan al-Ghossain's farm

compound, NE of Dalma Motel roundabout.

DA8 Islamic graveyard surrounded by walled enclosure, Dalma town.

DA9 Islamic graveyard surrounded by rectangular walled compound, between old Dalma town and the southern peninsula.

DA10 Islamic graves (ca 12 graves) inside the compound of the former Abu Dhabi Women's Federation compound in Dalma town.

DA11 Ubaid-related settlement inside the compound of the former Abu Dhabi Women's Federation compound in Dalma town. Thissite dates to the late 6th-early 5th millennium BC.

DA12 Continuation of the Ubaid-related site (DA11) outside the compound wall on the neighbouring traffic island. The same areaalso has traces of Islamic graves.

DA13 Late Islamic period settlement on old shoreline NW of the Dalma Motel roundabout.

DA14 Islamic period cistern and enclosure, north eastern outskirts of Dalma town.

DA15 Large Islamic period well known locally as "al-Falaj", west Dalma.

DA16 Late Islamic period village known as al-Biyada, west Dalma.

DA17 Four ?Islamic period graves and pottery scatters, west Dalma.

DA18 Sassanian-Early Islamic period stone buildings (now destroyed). This site was excavated by an Iraqi team in 1973. Locatednorth of Dalma town.

DA19 Large ?Islamic period spring or well known as "al-Fahahil", with 3-4 Islamic graves nearby. Located on the NW coast ofDalma.

DA20 Islamic period stone scatter, formerly the site of a simple mosque, and pottery scatters, located north of Dalma town.

DA21 ?Islamic period ore mining site located NE of Dalma town.DA22 Four ?Islamic period wells, known locally as "falaj Hazim" after the nearby wadi Sha'ba Hazim.

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KUSH (3RD CENTURIES TO 14TH CENTURY)

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LATE SASSANIAN/EARLY ISLAMICTOWER AT KUSH

Small, simple tower

indicates small

community

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ABBASID PERIOD OCCUPATION (9TH /10TH C- 14TH C)

Chinese/Indian/Islamic pottery

13th C coffee bean (earliest in Arabia)

Earliest Julfar?

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JEZIRAT AL HULAYLA

5th-11th C pottery from Iraq/Iran

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JUMEIRAH

Abbasid pottery/coins?

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UNDERSAMPLING OF EARLY ISLAMICSITES?

Much probably lies beneath current occupation

Evidence of irrigation systems in mountains difficult

to date.