Sailing Around Erythraean Sea: Thirty Five

In the previous Section we had a description of Calaei islands at the mouth of Persian Gulf, it is identified as Queshm islands in the Hormos strait.

At the upper end of this Calaei islands is a range of mountains called Calon, and there follows not far beyond, the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where there is much divining for pearl mussel. To the left of the straits are great mountains called Asabon, and to the right, there rises in full view another round and high mountain called Semiramis; between them the passage across the strait is about six hundred stadia; beyond which that very great and broad sea, the Persian Gulf reaches far into the interior. At the upper end of this Gulf there is a market-town designated by law called Apologus, situated near Charax Spasini and the River Euphrates. 

My Search:-

1. The Calon Mountains: Some scholars scholars identify this as Al Hajar Mountains southwest of Barka, also called Borca. Another batch of scholars propose Jebel Jais, northeast of Dubai. It is at the mouth of Persian Gulf and south of Queshm islands (Calaei islands). On the other hand Al Hajar is on the left bank of Gulf of Oman, ( while moving towards Persian Gulf) Jebel Jais is Calon mountains. Excavations at Jebel Jais revealed evidence of ancient mining.

Asabon Mountains: Proposed locations are:
1. Asab Mountains of Ras al Khaima.
2. Jebel Asab Mountains (Fujairah) in UAE.
3. Hajar Mountains in Oman/UAE.

Al Hajar Mountains is at Gulf of Oman side, west of Barka, a coastal city, whereas the unknown sailor's last point is Calaei islands (modern day Queshm islands in the shape of an arrow on the mouth of Persian Gulf) So Al Hajar Mountains do not match the descriptions in Periplus Maris Erethraean.

Jebel Asab Mountains in UAE also do do not match the descriptions in Periplus Maris Erethraean, because it is also on the Gulf of Oman side.

Then comes Asab Mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The city is divided into two parts by a creek. The eastern part Al Nakheel has an elevation of 19 metres. The old town is in the western shore of the creek and it has an elevation of forty metres. Once it was called Julfar. Ras al Khaimah has been a settlement for last seven thousand years. Ras al Khaimah is on the western side of the creek and also on Persian Gulf coast. Its high elevation compared to its counterpart Al Nakheel it may appear a mountain from his point of view at Queshm islands. Still the mystery of name Asabon remains.

Semiramis: Semiramis was the legendary Assyrian queen. Various places in Mesopotamia, Media, Persia, Levant and Arabian Peninsula received names recalling Semiramis. As per the text of Periplus Maris Erythraean, "To the left of of the straits are great mountains called Asabon and to the right there rises in full view another round and high mountain called Semiramis.  The following are the localities on the right side of the mouth of Persian Gulf.
1. Bandar Abbas
2. Gachin Bala
3. Pol
4. Bandar e Khamir
5. Bandar e Lenge.
Bandar Abbas is a port city with nick name Crab Port. It was a settlement prior to 600 BCE. Its elevation is only 9 metres. The nickname crab is reflective of the qualities of Semiramis: wisdom, resilience, adaptability, growth and resourcefulness. North of Bandar Abbas, there are two mountains called Mount Geno and Mount Pooladi. It could be seen from Queshm islands.
Geno Mountain is a part of Zagros mountain range. It is not known whether Semiramis is synonymous with Zagros or Geno Mountain. Political upheavals in the area might have erased name of the mountain.

Apologus: Basrah port in Iraq on the banks of Euphrates river 
Charax Spasini: is also a port north of Basrah. It is also by Euphrates river. Basrah is near to Persian Gulf.

End of the Section 



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