Maryam's Lighthouse? Traditional Cache
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A regular cache hidden near ruins of the old harbour of Qalhat village. This cache serves as a replacement of the "Maryam's City" cache (GC46T7N) which had to be archived as the archaeological site of Qalhat has been closed off for maintenance.
Next to the village of Qalhat there is an extensive field of ruins, the remains of one of the most important trading cities of the 13th and 14th Century in this region. The city was part of the kingdom of Hormuz, centred on the island of that name in the entrance of the Gulf. The city was badly damaged by an earthquake at the end of the 14th Century, which ruined many of its buildings, the harbour and the falaj system that brought water from the nearby mountains. Then in 1508 the Portuguese attacked the city, killing scores of its inhabitants and laying waste to much what still remained.
It is remarkable thus that one building still stands largely intact, possibly a mausoleum in its time, but currently called "Bait Maryam" by the local population. The city has been described by two important travellers of that period, Marco Polo (in the 13th Century) and Ibn Batuta (a century later, in 1330), with the later recounting that Bibi (Lady) Maryam had built a large mosque, subsequently totally destroyed during the Portuguese attack, and a smaller mausoleum. Bibi Maryam was the wife of Prince Bahauddin Ayaz, son of the founder of the Hormuz kingdom. Prince Ayaz died in 1312 in Qalhat and the mausoleum was built by his wife in his honour. The ruins of the ancient city of Qalhat cover an area of 500 by 1500 m. A cache had been hidden near to the one remaining monument of the old city: Bayt Maryam,
Maryam's City, GC46T7N
However, recently the archeological site has been declared off-limits for "maintenance". This is a great pity as it makes a well-known tourist attraction inaccessible. However, there are other ruins to be visited near to the old harbour of the city of Qalhat. This cache is hidden near one of two piles of rocks visible on either side of the entrance to the khor which served as the ancient harbour of Qalhat city. It does not take much imagination to see that these might have been the light towers marking the entrance to the harbour, guiding in merchant ships to the safe haven at night. The cache consists of a small lock 'n lock box camouflaged in a grey sock hidden under a rather distinctive pile of rocks.
Please take care when handling rocks to find the cache. In this country of scorching sunlight, rocks are favorite hiding places for snakes and scorpions to get out of the sun!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Uvqqra haqre n cvyr bs hahfhny ebpxf.
Treasures
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