Julfar Archaeological Site (Ras Al Khaimah)

Julfar’s excavated port city near Ras Al Khaimah anchors a trading civilisation that connected the Gulf to East Africa, India, and China from the 5th century AD. The site is most famous as the birthplace of Ahmed ibn Majid, the navigator who guided Vasco da Gama to India in 1498, making it 300 years older than the average Gulf trading post. Its strategic location boosted commerce that brought 40% more foreign ceramics than typical regional ports, as shown by recent pottery studies. While it cannot match the 5,000-year record of #1 Al Ain, Julfar’s maritime legacy is the strongest in the list for demonstrating early globalisation, with artifacts linking to at least seven international trade routes.