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November 2022

Saudi Arabia

A 16-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 11, 2022
    skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Al-Masmak, Riyadh

    November 12, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The mud brick fortress of Al-Masmak dates from 1865 when it was built to protect the local ruler during a period of warring emirates. It's main significance now is the role it played during the conflict resulting in the unification of Saudi Arabia into the single kingdom it is today. Nowadays, it's a museum.
    The 1st picture is of the fortress from outside. The 2nd picture is of a model of old Riyadh with it's city wall. The fortress can be seen just left of center. The 3rd picture is of the main door into the fortress. To the right of the small door, about even wit the bottom of the X, you can see the remains of a spear tip. This from a spear thrown by King Adulaziz that just missed the local emir. That emir was killed later.
    The 4th picture shows the construction inside the fortress, and the 5th is of one of several courtyards. The 6th picture is an interesting ladder made from a tree that has some interesting twists, making climbing it interesting, as well.
    The next 3 pictures are museum exhibits: weapons, a saddle and uniforms, respectively.
    The last picture is of a local man serving cups of Saudi Arabian coffee. It is not at all what we would expect. It is a mix of coffee, cardamom and clove. And it is yellow. Totally unexpected, by me anyway.    Read more

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    Riyadh

    November 12, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and has a population of about 8 million, makes Ng it about the same as NYC. The city is located on a desert plateau, more or less in the center of the country.
    I haven't taken many pictures as Riyadh is a thoroughly modern city that is similar to other places of extreme wealth that are building/rebuilding.
    The 1st 2 pictures are taken from the sky bridge of the Kingdom Tower. This 302 meter tall building splits into 2 tower with the sky bridge between. The 3rd picture is the Kingdom Tower itself. The bottom several levels are a very high end mall with all the stores one would expect. You know, the ones I can't afford.
    The 4th picture is a traditional Saudi welcome feast for the tour.    Read more

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    Edge of the World

    November 13, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Popularly know as the Edge of the World, Jebel Fihrayn is a 300 meter escarpment near Riyadh. The cliffs were formed by tectonic movement. The area had been a shallow sea. So, many marine fossils can be found.
    The pictures are all various views of the cliffs and lowlands, all taken from the top. The last picture is at sunset.    Read more

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    Al-Jeraisy

    November 14, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Al-Jeraisy is a 400 year old castle located at an oasis in Saudi Arabia. It is currently in restoration and closed. However, the sure manager gave us access on the condition that we not take photos. When they do get this finished and open, it is definitely a place to visit. The approach they are taking is to stabilize part of the interior to make visible what the site was, and restoring part to show how it actually looked. It is a wonderful site.
    These 5 pictures are all outside the walls. The 1st picture is the front of the castle. What looks like a square cutout in the wall is that exactly that: a section where the new wall has been left open, making the 400 year old wall visible. The 2nd picture is one of the 4 towers located in the corners. The 3rd picture is looking away from the front, showing other ruins.
    The last 2 pictures were taken from atop one of the towers, looking out at the oasis. The last picture accidentally caught part of the rebuilt structures inside the castle. Again I say they are doing extraordinary work here.
    Come and see!    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Ushaiqer Heritage Village

    November 14, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Ushaiqer is a well-preserved village that is one of the best examples of Nadji architecture which is characterized by thick walls, natural materials and "outlined" windows and doors. Also, the buildings are all connected, not free standing.
    The area was 1st settled by Bedouins about 1,500 years ago. The town developed into an important stop for pilgrims to rest and replenish.
    The 1st 4 pictures are various looks at the town and it's architecture. The 5th picture looks down one of the many narrow streets in town.
    The 6th picture is in the mosque courtyard with the minaret in the background. The 7th picture is inside the active mosque.
    The 8th picture is in one of many courtyards, and the 9th picture is in the 1st school. The posters tell about the 4 original teachers from about 150 years ago.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Camel Market

    November 15, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The main market for camels and sheep in this part of Arabia. I'm told that most camels are bought for slaughter as camel meat is a bit of a delicacy here. I haven't eaten camel here yet, but I have elsewhere. It is good.
    Some of the camels are bought for racing and breeding.
    Rather than photos, it seems good to post a video as the sound effects were I large part of the ambiance.    Read more

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    Hutaymah Crater

    November 15, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Hutaymah is one of a number of volcanic craters in this part of Saudi Arabia. The crater is about 150 meters deep and about 600 meters across. It is one of the largest in the country. It appears likely to be extinct.
    The photos are all of the crater. In the bottom is a permanent salt water pool of potassium sulfate.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Ha'il

    November 15, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Ha'il is a city in northwest Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of the primary agricultural region of Saudi Arabia. Most of the nation's wheat is grown here. I can say it rains here as I got wet after supper tonight.
    The pictures are taken atop a hill above a city park. We were there for the sunset that didn't happen.    Read more

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    Jubbah rock art

    November 16, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    This is 1of 2 sites near Ha'il (see another post) that together are a UNESCO world heritage site. The site contains some of the best and oldest neolithic petroglyphs in Arabia and the Middle East. The glyphs are at least 7,000 to 9,000 years old.
    These are all photos taken there on my phone in the ambient light.
    It's more impressive than the photos show.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Dadan and Jabal Ikmah

    November 17, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The ancient city of Dadan is an active archaeological site with excavation proceeding daily. The city was founded in the late 9th century BCE encompassing a portion of the oasis. The site sits on the old incense road, the major trade route through the Arabian peninsula. Hence it was a wealthy trading city.
    The 1st picture looks at the cliff around the town with ancient tombs carved into the rock. The most significant is called the Lion Tomb as it has carvings above the entry. Count from the far left. The 5th tomb is the Lion Tomb.
    The next 3 pictures relate to the excavation. The 2nd picture shows some of the artifacts recovered here. The 3rd picture looks back over an unexcavated area to the active dig. The 4th picture is of the ceremonial water basin with the temple wall behind.
    The 5th picture is a couple of staff members demonstrating carving techniques in the native stone.
    The rest of the pictures are at Jabal Ikmah. This site is referred to as the library as it has the highest concentration of Pre-Arabic inscriptions. This canyon became the place where various cultures traveling along the trade routes left their mark, often recording offerings to the gods. There are 3 pictures of a few of the inscriptions, and 1 looking along the canyon where the inscriptions are found.    Read more

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    Hegra

    November 17, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Still in the AlUla area, we move from the Dadanite culture to the Nabataeans. Hegra is considered their 2nd city after Petra (see another post). Founded in the 1st century BCE, Hegra is about 400 years younger than Petra.
    The 1st picture is a center of the city. It is considered a holy mountain. To the right, you can see what appears to be an opening. That is detailed in the 2nd picture. The large opening is a meeting space for the elites to meet, talk, be entertained, etc. The gap through the Rick is reminiscent of Petra. This leads through to an off limits holy space in the 3rd picture.
    Like Petra, much of the monumental carving is for tombs. Pictures 4, 5 & 6 are all different tomb settings. Sometimes a large outcrop was used for a single tomb. Other times there are many carved around all sides of the rock. The last 2 pictures are inside a couple of the tombs.
    The areas suspected of being where people lived are still unexcavated.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    AlUla

    November 17, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    AlUla dates to the 6th century BCE, and the region includes the important sites of Dadan and Hegra. Both of those sites have their own posts.
    Probably the best known site at AlUla is at elephant rock. The 1st picture is a laser light on an adjacent rock. That is AlUla in Arabic above the Latin rendering of the name. The 2nd picture is elephant rock. The elephant shaped rock is natural, shaped by natural erosive forces. Today it is a venue with food, music, etc.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are both of the main street the old town AlUla. This has also become a venue full of shops and restaurants.
    The last picture was taken just outside AlUla to prove that it does rain in the desert.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Lawrence of Arabia

    November 18, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Al Hadiyah station and junction in the Hejaz narrow gauge railway built by the Ottoman government primarily to transport pilgrims to Medina and Mecca. It was also used for government and military functions, such as moving troops and materiel. This is a site left as is as a kind of monument after attacks here by Lawrence of Arabia and local tribes to shut down the line during World War 1.

    The 1st 2 pictures are some of the wreckage left from the charges set and exploded during the war. The 3rd picture looks along the 3 structures at the site. This was an important Ottoman strategic junction. One building is the old station in the 4th picture. The 5th picture is inside the station. The 6th picture is the old water tower. In a couple of the pictures you can still see the water filling stations for the steam engines.
    While the tracks are gone, the old roadbed still can be seen. As I mentioned, this is a junction. You can see a guy walking on each part of the split in the tracks. The one to the left goes to Medina (see another post). The one to the right probably went to AlUla (see another post).    Read more

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    Al Madinah Al Munawwarah

    November 18, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The name translates as the Enlightened City, but is better known as Medina. This is the prophet's city where Mohammed made his home after departing Mecca. It is the 2nd holiest place in Islam after Mecca.
    The 1st picture is the Quba Mosque. This is said to date to 622 CE and is the 1st mosque ever built. So it is directly associated with Mohammed. It is 2nd only to the Prophets Mosque. As non-Muslims, we were not allowed inside.
    The 2nd picture is the Quba walkway. This is a pedestrian walkway the runs from the Quba Mosque to Al-Haram, the area around the Mosque of the Prophet in the 3rd picture. Al-Haram is an area forbidden to non-Muslins.
    The 3rd picture is the Mosque of the Prophet. It is the largest and most important mosque in Medina. Mohammed built this mosque initially (there have many expansions and improvements over the centuries), and he is buried here. This is the 2nd largest and 2nd most important after Mecca where the Kaaba is located.
    The 4th picture is a brick mosque, the only one like it I saw here
    The rest of the pictures are cityscapes of the very modern city of Medina.    Read more

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    Al Waba Crater

    November 19, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The Al Waba crater is the largest in Saudi Arabia with a diameter of 4 kilometers and a depth of 250 meters. The white looking substance is sodium phosphate.
    Most geologists consider this to be a maar crater. That is, it was created by a massive underground eruption caused by basaltic magma coming in contact with ground water.Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    At Ta'if

    November 20, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Ta'if is a city on a plateau high enough to be cooler than much of the country. So it has become a place for getting away. There is a large central market here that's in the 1st picture.
    Ta'if is probably best known for its roses.the rest of the pictures are at a rose farm where the flowers are grown and processed into rose oil. It takes 50,000 flower petals to make 10 ml of rose oil. The 3rd picture is a model of the hardware used, and the 4th picture is actual hardware in the factory. It is essentially a 9 hour distillation process. Rose water is a byproduct that is both sold and reused in the distillation.
    The last 2 pictures are in the garden: the balcony and the flower beds respectively. Roses are harvested here from March to May.    Read more

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    Jeddah

    November 20, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    Founded in the 6th century CE as a fishing village, Jeddah is Saudi Arabia's commercial center and Red Sea port. It is the 2nd largest city in the country (after Riyadh, see another post). Jeddah is also the major point of arrival for pilgrims headed for Mecca.
    The 1st 3 pictures are in Al Balad, the old city of Jeddah. The 1st picture is the ancient city gate. The 2nd picture is the 7th century Shaf'i mosque, one of the oldest in the country, and the 3rd picture is the Nasif house which is was the residence of the rulers of the city and nation in the past.
    The 4th picture is King Fahad's Fountain, said to be the highest of it's type in the world. The water jet reaches 260 meters.
    The 5th picture is a water front mosque along the corniche or promenade along the Red Sea. The 6th picture is one of several sculptures lining the promenade. The 7th and 8th pictures are of different points along the corniche in daylight and at night.
    The last picture is the Globe roundabout, a traffic circle that is considered a monument here.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Jazan

    November 22, 2022, Red Sea ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Jazan is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is a Red sea port that is also the terminal for the ferry to the Farasan Islands (see another post).
    The 1st picture looks almost by the Red Sea coast.
    The next 2 pictures are in the Jazan Heritage village that was unfortunately closed for some government function. The village pulls together the historical lifestyle of the people of this region. One picture looks into the village where the souk would normally be when open. In the background are traditional houses typical if the region made of mud and straw. There is also a traditional sesame oil press, one of the agricultural products Jazan is known for.
    The last picture looks back towards the ferry port.    Read more

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    Farasan Islands

    November 23, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The Farasan Islands are an archipelago of about 80 islands located about 50 km off the southwest coast of Saudi Arabia. The main island, called Farasan, is one of the largest islands in the Red Sea.
    The 1st picture is of a marina near the ferry terminal where local tour boats go out into the archipelago. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are of interesting rock formations taken from one of those tour boats. The 4th picture is another of those formations. On this one, I expected to see Elton John and his piano singing Crocodile Rock!
    There are also mangroves growing here. The next 2 pictures are looks at a couple of spots in the mangrove forest. The 7th picture is of one of the larger inhabitants of the mangroves: pelican. Just to the right of the large pelican, hidden by the leaves, is a chick.
    The 8th picture is in the Al Qessar heritage village. This is a reconstruction on the site of a village that dates to at least Roman times.
    The last 2 pictures are of a couple of the several houses of an important pearl merchant from a bit over 100 years ago. There is no longer an active pearl industry here, but the architecture of the houses is amazing.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSaudi Arabia

    Rijal Alma'a Heritage Village

    November 24, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Rijal Alma'a is a 900 year old village located in the mountains along a trade route from Yemen to the Levant. So it became a trading center. There are about 60 multistory buildings here, some of which are restored. They built to as high as 8 stories. The site is now a heritage village. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
    The 1st 3 pictures look at the complex from different perspectives. Note the white outlined windows and the decoration above each. These are typical here. The 3rd picture is a tunnel under a dwelling with an old balcony.
    The next 3 pictures are of the museum in the complex. The 4th picture is the entry. The other 2 are restored rooms. The artifacts and the painting of the walls and the door are all traditional.
    The 7th picture looks out from a balcony in the complex. It is roughly the reverse of the view in the 1st picture. The 8th picture looks out from a different balcony over part of the modern village at the site
    The last picture is the scenery around the village. Yes, this really is Saudi Arabia.    Read more

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    Abha

    November 25, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Abha is the 6th largest city in Saudi Arabia and serves as the capital of Asir province in the country's southwest. It sits at an elevation of 2,200 to 2,400 meters above sea level, giving it a much milder climate than most of the country.
    The 1st 2 pictures overlook the city from higher in the mountains. The 3rd and 4th pictures are views from an overlook trail n a nearby state park. We were to visit the Asir National Park with the highest mountain in the country, but it was closed for maintenance. The park we did visit was recommended by the officer at the roadblock.
    The 5th and 6th pictures are of Al Habala hanging village not far from Abha. This village built on the side of a cliff is unique in Saudi Arabia. I'm told it was originally built by a tribe fleeing the Ottomans. Pictures 5 & 6 look down from the cliff top to a bit of the restored village that was originally accessible only by rope ladders. Today there is a cable car.
    The last picture is a couple of the other residents of the region    Read more

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    Al Yanfa

    November 25, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The village of Al Yanfa is built on a mountainside not far from Abha (see another post). The village is unique in that it sits on top of a network of tunnels. Each building has at least one access door into the warren of tunnels.
    The village has not been restored, and unlike many historic sites, some of the homes are still occupied. The pictures show both some buildings and some tunnels as they currently exist.
    You may notice that some of the buildings have rows of flat stones protruding from the walls. These serve to keep rain off the mud brick walls, protecting them from falling apart in wet weather.    Read more

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    On the road

    November 26, 2022 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This is simply a few pictures taken on the road to show the variety of landscapes in Saudi Arabia. I came here with the expectation of seeing endless sand dunes. What I saw is quite different.

    Trip end
    November 26, 2022
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