09

The Local Area

Taqah

Taqah is situated along the coast 28 km to the east of Salalah.

Taqah was once a prosperous port and an imporant trading centre in the ancient world for the export of frankincense. It also contains remains of stone sculptures and carvings, pre-islamic tombs and a citadel, thought to be part of the ancient City of Taqah. Taqah's distinctive fort is found in the heart of the town, whilst the historic castle of Al-Manjwi neighbours Sumahram, an ancient city which is thought to date back to 3000 BC.

Khour Taqah

The lagoon is located at the western entrance of the town of Taqah, with an estimated area of about 2 square kilometers. This large deep body of freshwater is fed by a spring and has a permanent connection to the sea with an outflow of 140 litres per minute. It is particularly interesting for supporting varieties of plants which only grow in freshwater alongside those which require high levels of salinity. Vegetation in this creek includes gramineae and canes. The khawr is endowed with nutrients that feed more than 20 types of fish and other micro-organisms. The dense stand of reeds and reed-mace provide shelter and breeding sites for large numbers of birds and more than 200 species have been recorded.

In the past people used the water of the lagoon mainly for watering their livestock in addition to some fishing.

Khour Souli

This is also found within the Wilayat of Taqah and is considered to be one of the most important creeks in Oman in terms of the number of species of its flora and fauna. The lagoon is one of three reserves in the region used in the past as a port forArabian maritime vessels. Around the sanctuary are ancient city remains.

The creek is also linked to the large and various water sources of the Khasheem valleys. It is classified as an important habitat for about 44 species of invertebrates and micro-organisms, more than 66 species of birds and 26 species of fish and around 70 species of plants.