telegraph island present and past

At Cape Mussendom (now called the Musandam Peninsula), the cable was landed on on a small rocky island in the Elphinstone Inlet, about a mile offshore. This is now known as Telegraph Island. The British cable construction crew built their station on the island rather than the mainland to make it easier to defend the installation against the hostile local inhabitants.

The through connection to Europe was delayed until 1865, as the Turks encountered considerable difficulties in completing their line to Fao. The line construction gangs were regularly attacked by Arabs, until finally the Turks made agreements with the local sheikhs to post Arab guards every few miles along the line. See the full story of the laying of the cable from the Illustrated London News, below.

In December 1868 the Persian Gulf cable was diverted from Elphinstone Island to Henjam & Jask, and the cable station on the island was abandoned. In 1870 the direct line of the British Indian Submarine Telegraph Company was laid by Great Eastern from Bombay to Aden, and traffic on the Persian Gulf cables fell off considerably.

Now a beautiful place for swimming and snorkelling.
Waiting for you to come over and discover the area !!!!

Information about Musandam, Khasab

Rocky and rugged,the Musandam Peninsula juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entry into thePersian Gulf, from the Arabian Peninsula. The Musandam peninsula is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. Its location gives Oman partial control, shared with Iran, of the strategic strait. In the northern section of Musandam, around Kumzar, the current language is Kumzari, which is one of the south-western Iranian languages and a sub-branch of Persian. The Musandam Peninsula has an area of 1,800 square kilometers and a population of 28,727 people. Connectivity has traditionally been a problem for the region, but this has greatly improved since August 2008 with the world's fastest passenger ferry launching service between Muscat and Musandam.Khasab is a city in an exclave of Oman. It is the local capital of the Musandam peninsula.

Khasab is located 500 kilometers from Muscat and is dubbed the "Norway of Arabia". Mighty jebels rise up in this unique and rugged locale. Apart from the beauty that lies above the waters, Musandam also has a rich and colourful underwater world, teeming with varied marine life providing for some spectacular snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing.

The breathtaking beauty of the mountains, the unspoiled beaches and steep wadis are aplenty in Khasab.

The majestic fjords dotted with islands and the crystal clear waters shimmering in the sun along with the Khasab Fort, the Telegraph Island and underwater adventures account for a truly memorable holiday.

The best way to experience the idyllic beauty of Musandum is by sea trips on typical dhows. Many species of sea birds roam and nest around the cliffs at Khawr Ghubb Ali. Dolphins can be sighted near the Jebel Harim the highest peak in Musandam.

Khasab also has a number of modern shopping areas with imported Irani goods and locally created pottery.