evidence: The Khuriya Muriya have a rather curious history. In 1854, Sultan Said ceded the islands to the British after they had proposed a scheme for harvesting guano from them (the foreign secretary, Lord Clarendon, it is said, reciprocated the sultan’s largesse by sending him a snuffbox in return). Guano was extracted for only a few years, however, and the islands were subsequently attached to the Aden Settlement, in what is now Yemen. They remained a British possession until 1967, when they were returned to Oman – despite Yemeni claims that, as part of the former Aden adminstration, they properly belonged to them. [...] Ubar - Lost City [...] Get Perfect Tour Experience