Sarapis Island

Information from the Periplus

Ancient Toponym: Sarapis Island
Place Type: Unspecified
Route: Eastern route
Next on Route: Kalaiou Isles
Ancient Area: Arabia
Periplus Chapter: PME, Ch. 33

Topographic info

Longitude 58.815278
Latitude 20.471111
Location Source: Pleiades

Modern Identification: Masirah Island
Modern Country: Oman

Passage from the Periplus

Beyond Moscha Limen, for about another 1500 stades a mountain range (?) stretches along the shore up to Asichon, and off the very end of this lie seven islands in a row called the Isles of Zenobios, beyond which stretches another country, inhabited by an indigenous people, which is no longer in the same kingdom but already in that of Persis. After sailing along it over open water for about 2000 stades from the Isles of Zenobios, you come to the Isle of Sarapis, as it is called, about 120 stades offshore. It is some 200 stades wide and 600 long and is populated by three villages and by holy men of the Ichthyophagoi. They use the Arabic tongue and wear loincloths of palm leaves. The island has good supplies of fine-quality tortoise shell. The merchants of Kane customarily fit out small sailing vessels to trade with it. (from the Casson translation)

Bibliography

Ancient source: nan

Bibliography: nan