Al-Lawatia

Al-Lawatia (Arabic: اللواتيا‎, sing. Lawati) is an ethnocultural group primarily based in the province of Muscat, Oman.

Origins

The Lawatis are descendants of the Hijazi Arabs who settled in South Asian (Indian). Tradition relates that Lawatis trace their ancestry back to al-Hakam bin 'Awanat al-Lati, a Hijazi Arab who participated in the Muslim conquest of the Indian Peninsula and settled there. The Lawatis converted to Twelver Shia Islam in the 19th century from Ismaili Shia Islam following a dispute regarding the legitimacy of the Aga Khan's leadership.

Demographics and role in the Persian Gulf

Most Lawatis reside in Muscat, the capital of Oman, but some live on the coast of Al-Batina. Some Lawati families reside elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Traditionally, Al-Lawatia have been known as prominent merchants on the coasts of Muttrah which lies 2 kilometers of Muscat. They have worked in the incense (بخور), jewelry and clothes business as well as in general trade. The community occupies a gated quarter of Muttrah known as Sur al-Lawatia. The quarter still boasts attractive houses with a unique Islamic architectural view and a large mosque known as Al-Rasul Al-Aadam Mosque or The Greatest Prophets Mosque in reference to Muhammad. The Sur has seen a major exodus in recent decades as Lawatis have moved to more modern neighborhoods as a result of increasing development, the availability of facilities and growing wealth and business of the community. Another great historic monument built by the tribe is Al-Zahra Mosque in the UAE, which was built nearly 300 years ago