The appointment, made by Supreme Council member and Ruler of Sharjah Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, legally recognizes the island’s special status in the region since ancient times and underscores its historical and archaeological importance, according to a report by the Emirati News Agency (WAM) .
Preliminary surveys and studies conducted by specialized authorities indicate that human settlements on the island were mainly concentrated in the western part, facing Khorfakkan, another important city.
The pottery fragments are widespread along the coast from north to south and, in addition to the discovery of an important building with a square plan, dwellings, agricultural terraces, cemeteries and an observation area at the top of the mountain have been identified, with views and stone doors overlooking the sea and shells, that serve as a food source.
The Archaeological Authority of Sharjah divided the main period of occupation of the island into two phases: the first dates back to the 13th-16th centuries AD, the second to the 18th-19th centuries AD, although there are archaeological finds such as celadon and Porcelain there past centuries, refers to the WAM report.
Sira Khorfakkan Island has immense historical value due to its strategic position dominating the entrance to Khorfakkan from the east and its gabbro stone height of up to 8.7 meters, making it an impregnable bastion for monitoring maritime traffic in the sea from Oman.
Geological studies have shown that it consists of ophiolite formations resulting from excessive pressure on the continental crust during the Late Cretaceous, and therefore constitutes part of the oceanic lithosphere, with a width of about 35 meters and an extent that continues north-south of the island.
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