Maritime heritage in the Arabian Gulf during the second Abbasid era (232-656 AH / 848-1258 AD) Bahrain region's ships as a model

Abstract

Undoubtedly, the marine heritage generally played a significant role illustrating the features of daily life activities among peoples of various cultures and beliefs. In the second Abbasid era, the Arab Gulf region enjoyed a great importance in all economic aspects, being the most prominent maritime route in transporting goods to both Islamic and European world. In this specific road, commercial ships played a pivotal role in stimulating trade and promoting its propagation, being the fastest and most economical transport line at the time. These ships, whether military, commercial, or fishing, had a prominent impact on the antiquities and heritage of the western Arabian Gulf region, which was rich of ports and harbors as narrated to us by the numerous heritage books. Consequently, this study is an attempt to disclose the nature of these ships and their essential role in revitalizing the Abbasid economy, due to its importance in reviving the archaeology of the Arab-Islamic heritage at that time; in terms of the names of the ships, their manufacturing method, their captain, the merchandises they carry back, and in terms of available information about their construction, pioneers, dealings, used currencies, methods of sale and purchase, and the threats they faced.