Dibba Al-Hisn (
Arabic: دبا الحصن, white Dibba) is a
pene-exclave of the
emirate of
Al-Sharjah, one of the seven
United Arab Emirates. It is bordered by the
Gulf of Oman from the East,
Dibba Al-Baya (a province of Oman in
Musandam) from the North, and
Dibba Al-Fujairah from the South. It is also geographically part of the
Dibba region. It is the smallest in size among the Dibbas. It is mostly known for its fish market and the ancient fortress from which it got its name. Also, it is known for its high density of population relative to the other Dibbas.
History
Pre-Islamic period
Dibba Al-Hisn has been an important site of maritime trade and settlement since the
pre-Islamic era. Although there is slight information, mainly from tombs, of settlement during the later second millennium and early first millennium
BCE, contemporary with such sites as
Shimal, Tell Abraq and Rumeilah, and of scattered occupation during the period of al-Dur and
Mileiha, most mention of Dibba is in the period just prior to and after the coming of Islam. Under the
Sasanians and their Omani clients the Al-Juland, an important market existed at Dibba. Dibba was sometimes the capital of Oman.[2] According to Ibn Habib, "merchants from
Sindh, India, China, people of the East and West" came to it.
Islamic period
(632 - 633
CE) Soon after the death of
Muhammad, a rebellion broke out at Dibba, and a faction of the
Azd, led by
Laqit bin Malik, nicknamed ذو التاجThu at-Taj ("The Crowned"), rejected Islam by refusing to pay the
Zakat — the Islamic principle of giving a percentage of one's income to charity. Since Zakat is one of the
five pillars of Islam, this faction committed an act of
Ridda (
apostasy), according to Islamic beliefs. Laqit was killed by an envoy of the caliph
Abu Bakr, in accord with one tradition, in what may have been a relatively small struggle; however, other sources, including
Al-Tabari, say that at least 10,000 rebels were killed in one of the biggest battles of the
Ridda wars (حروب الردة). The plain behind the Omani part of Dibba,
Dibba Al-Baya, still contains a large cemetery, which, according to local tradition, represents the fallen apostates of Dibba (المرتدينAl-Murtaddeen).
During the time of the
AbbasidcaliphAl Mu'tadid (870 - 892 CE), a great battle was fought at Dibba during the conquest of Oman by the Abbasid governor of Iraq and Bahrain,
Muhammad bin Nur.
Colonial period
Portuguese occupation (1624 - 1648 CE)
Dibba Al-Hisn is believed to be the site where the Portuguese during the
Habsburg Dynasty built a fort and a wall around the city.
[1] In August 1648, the Arabs besieged
Muscat, Oman, and on October 31, 1648, a treaty was signed between the two opponents. The terms required the Portuguese to build the fortress of
Kuriyat, Dibba Al-Hisn and
Matrah (Oman).[3]
Modern history
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adding to it. (January 2011)
September 10, 1974: Mohammad Khalifa Al Kindi signed a
AED 52 million contract for the construction and surfacing of the road between
Khor Fakkan and Dibba (the
E99 road).
June 9, 1975: The Ministry of Communication in a memorandum asked the Supreme Council of the Federation for the authority to supervise transportation, the control of air space in all airports and all agreements made with airline companies in all the emirates. The Council of Ministers approved the construction of the highway between
Dibba Al-Fujairah and
Masafi at a cost of AED 94.5 Million.
January 19, 1977: The Federal Council of Ministers approved a number of projects costing AED 56 million, including water distribution in
Ajman and Dibba.
January 10, 1978:
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi opened the
wharf at Dibba Al-Hisn, which can accommodate 80 fishing boats. Part of the port will be used as ships' berths.
February 7, 1978: The Ministry of Water and Electricity announced that the east coast from Dibba to Fujairah had been connected through an electrical feeder station.
^Chronicle of Progress: 25 Years of Development in the United Arab Emirates
By Ibrahim Abed, Paula Casey-Vine, Abdullah Al Jabali.
ISBN1-900724-03-0,
ISBN978-1-900724-03-6
1 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent
invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.