2023-11-23 05:15:54
Apart from the pilgrimage cities of Makkah and Madinah, there are many areas in Saudi Arabia that have been developed with tourism potential in mind. One of them is Al Qara Hills in Al Ahsa
Until the discovery of oil in 1938, Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the world. The main source of income was limited agriculture and income from pilgrims. With the discovery of oil fields, the Arabian people, who were able to graze sheep, raise camels and depend on the sea, became synonymous with wealth. With that, the Saudi royal family slowly took its place with world leaders. The discovery of petroleum led to a huge economic boom in the Sand Kingdom. Oil production progressed under the auspices of the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco). Thousands of foreigners, especially Americans, started coming to Saudi Arabia to work here – this is history.
The Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, have begun to push for new areas, seeing the endless possibilities of petroleum products in the new era. Vision 2030 launched by King Salman of Saudi Arabia targeting the tourism sector is worth mentioning. Apart from the pilgrimage cities of Makkah and Madinah, there are many areas in Saudi Arabia that have been developed with tourism potential in mind. One of them is Al Qara Hills in Al Ahsa. One of the highlights of this visit to Saudi Arabia was to see these hills.
It left Raqqa in Dammam at nine in the morning and reached the Al Qara hills, about 160 kilometers away, around 11.30. Our tour leaders were Sasiyetan and Shamna Teacher, who visited here before the development of tourism and have been expatriates for 30 years.
Al Qara Mountain
Al-Qara’ Mountain or Jabal Al-Qara is a 75m high ‘table’ in Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is also known as Al-Shabab Mountain. This mountain is one of the most important scenery in Al-Ahsa. It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 after the inclusion of Al-Ahsa Oasis.
The mountain is named after the village of Al Qara’. It is also called al-Shaban because of its location among palm trees and rivers and because of its wild high caves that are cool in summer. It is believed to be a divine creation that has not been influenced by human activities. It has three heads in total. The first is to the south. It looks like a woman’s head. The second to the north is like a man’s head and the third between them is like a lion.
This mountain is located between the four villages of al-Qara’, at-Tuwaithir, ad-Dalwa and at-Tihemia. There are three types of caves in the mountain.
1- First type formed due to dissolution and erosion of water soluble rocks. This is the most common limestone cave found in Saudi Arabia.
2- The second type is the result of the collapse of the upper layers due to chemical weathering and abrasion. Therefore, the removal of the lower layers sometimes leads to the formation of extensive caves. The most famous cave of its kind is located on the west side of Mt. It is called “Al-Eid Cave” or “Maqarat Al-Eid”.
3- The third type is formed by earthquake ruptures.
The caves were under the control of Al Ahsa Municipality until 2016. After it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ahsana, the Ahsa tourism company, spent about 100 million Saudi riyals to develop the mountain. Titled Land of Civilizations, the project mainly involves lighting and leveling the ground in the cave. It also includes a history museum, cafes and shops.
There are also many rock climbers in the Al Qara Hills. However, caution should be exercised while climbing these rock formations where dangers lurk. A little carelessness can sometimes lead to a big disaster. While the country’s strict laws may make foreign tourists more cautious, locals are even more reluctant. It has also led to disasters.
Malayalis, expatriates especially, love to travel. Even when visiting Al Qara Kunkar, there was a large presence of Malayalees there. The fact that the Freeland photographer in the cave is a Malayali from Kollam also highlights the Malayali presence.
Author (far left) with fellow passengers
In any case, Al Ahsa and Al Kharah Hills are a must-see for travel enthusiasts visiting Saudi Arabia. Entry fee is 50 riyals per person. The start of public transport in Saudi will also be very beneficial for the tourism sector here.
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