Kumzar

Kumzar
Kumzar ; كُمْزَار (in Arabic)
	Kumzar, c. 1908
	Kumzar Location in Oman
	Coordinates: 26°20′12″N 56°24′35″E
Country	Oman
Muhafazah	Musandam
Wilayat	Khasab
Area
• Total	3.61 km2 (1.39 sq mi)
• Land	3.61 km2 (1.39 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population (2010-12-12)
• Total	1,378
• Density	381.4/km2 (988/sq mi)

Kumzār (Arabic: كُمْزَار‎), also written as Kumza, is a village located in Musandam, the northernmost province of Oman.[1] It is the second most northerly inhabited part of the country, and the most northerly inhabited part on its mainland, located on the Strait of Hormuz. The village is isolated and only accessible by boat.

Kumzar has been inhabited for approximately 500 years, although exact records are difficult. Early Portuguese maps of the area highlight a settlement in the area.

The isolated location of the village has harboured a separate language, Kumzari. The Kumzaris religious practice is based in Islam but with traditional folk values. The culture is distinct from the other Arabic settlements in the area.

Fishing is the dominant source of income, tuna and sardines being the major catch. Most families have two houses, one in Kumzar and the second in Khasab. The extreme heat in the summer makes Kumzar almost uninhabitable and from May to September most people leave Kumzar to stay in Khasab. In Khasab the Kumzari are typically isolationist, having their own district; which is close to the sea and where all the houses are grouped.

References

Lancaster, Fidelity; Lancaster, William (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighbouring Regions. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 88–490. ISBN 978-3-1102-2339-2.

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[Lancaster&Lancaster2011-1] Lancaster, Fidelity; Lancaster, William (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighbouring Regions. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 88–490. ISBN 978-3-1102-2339-2.