By Author
Gamal Adnan
The Arab efforts in the development of marine science and its impact on the maritime influence in the economic development and the spread of Islam and Islamic civilization in China and East Africa since the advent of Islam to the Portuguese occupation 913 AH / 1507 AD
The Arab ships sailed from Mascut or Sohar next to- the coast of Oman – and then they proceeded sailing to the port of Colm on Coast of Millibar they had to sail next to this coast to the island of Ceylon, and from this island proceed sailing to peninsula-Malacca to get over the Strait of Malacca to Singapore, they had to sail to the east coast of Indochina in order to continue their voyage to the coast of China.
Finally the Arab ships moored at the port of Khan-Fu which is called Canton now the voyage only took 29 days – While the Arab ships which sailed next to the coast from the Arabian Gulf to the coast of China took 4 months to arrive to Alzaitoun [Tche-Tung] when the Arab ships directly sailed from Muscat to Colm in the Abbasid period this shows us that the Arab sailors sailed – in what was known in the marine sciences absolute circle –Mutlac Deira-Which means that the ships directly sail from sea to another sea but mill-circle -Indian idiom -means semi circle – which means that ships sailed next to the coast and not far away.
Arab ships must sail from Oman to Muscat for filling the reservoirs of ships fresh water from wells in order to sail n ahead to Addahlak and Zaila,a — Somalia now —they crossed the Arabian Sea – Dlarroy Sea- to bring shell of turtles – Alzbl – and skins tigers and donkeys then they sailed next to eastern coast of the Africa to Sufala on coast of Mozambique for bearing gold, ambergris, wood, wax, honey and tusk of elephants the Omans prepared most of tusk of elephants to export to China and India.
Resulted from frequency arrival of Arab traders to this coast people of Zanguebar ]Tsong-Pa[ became like ]”ta-she [-that means they became Muslim Because of the mystics ascetics and preachers boarded ships with traders or as passengers with convoys and inhabited settlements, which were built by the Arabs along the coast extending from mokadisho north to Sufala south and its neighboring islands and they established civilization when Portuguese first saw the high level of civilization, they surprised, Certainly the Swahili people lived an opulence and luxury existence in the prosperous and great wealth cities , Then Arab ships went out to the Oman sea passing by Dllarroy sea where Soukatra Island rose to carriy patience and the blood of brothers gum trees -called alqatmr..
