Foto: Some rock paintings are 10000 years old (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Saudi Arabia - Around 12:30, we arrive at the rock carvings of Jibal Umm Sinman. The parking lot is empty—could it be closed? We walk through the entrance into the visitor center. In one of the rooms, two men are sitting on a carpet. “Come in, come in.” As they register our passports and casually look through all our visas, we’re offered coffee and dates. We agree with the guide to meet in 15 minutes to walk to the rock art. First, we have lunch by the car. Just as we’ve started on our sandwiches, a car pulls up. It’s Bas and Bert—the same two Dutchmen we ran into yesterday in Ushaiger. What a coincidence! Meanwhile, our guide drives off in his car, calling out something about being back in half an hour or an hour. We’re not sure what he meant. We decide not to wait and begin exploring the site ourselves. We soon spot the ancient carvings on the rocks. At some spots, staircases have been placed to better view the higher drawings. This is the most famous rock art site in Saudi Arabia. The oldest drawings are 10,000 years old. We follow the path around the rock formations. When we return to the visitor building, we feel we've seen enough. On the other side of the building, there are also many carvings. The trail continues for hundreds of meters. The guide still hasn’t returned when we head off toward Ha’il.
Al Masmak Fort in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia - We continue on to the Al Masmak Fort. Parking here is easier. There’s a parking lot where we can leave the car for a fee. The citadel, made of clay and mud, was built in 1865. In 1902, King Abdul Aziz captured the fort and took control of Riyadh. At ...
Madain Saleh
Saudi Arabia - This morning, we visit the magnificent tombs of the Nabataeans in Madain Saleh. Just before the start of the Common Era, the Nabataeans expanded trade routes from Petra in Jordan. In Hegra—the other name for Madain Saleh—they carved tombs with beautiful ...
The 300meter high Kingdom Tower
Saudi Arabia - From the platform at 200 meters, we have a view over the entire city. We can see our hotel, the fort, the mosque on the edge of town, and directly in front of us, the Kingdom Tower. This skyscraper, shaped like a bottle opener, is the tallest building ...
The historic old town of Jeddah
Saudi Arabia - In the historic old town of Jeddah, many old Ottoman houses still remain—characteristic white buildings with wooden balconies. Some are heavily dilapidated, while others are being restored. The old town of Jeddah has been on the UNESCO World Heritage ...
The traditional houses of Abha
Saudi Arabia - Just outside the center of Abha lies the Al Nasb district. In this neighborhood, a few houses built using traditional mud-and-stone construction methods still remain. Most of the historical houses are abandoned, and therefore deteriorating quickly. We ...
Wadi Al Disah
Saudi Arabia - We get into the car with Abu. He introduces himself with a longer name but is fine with us just calling him Abu. A cheerful older man. He doesn’t speak a word of English, but that doesn't dampen his enthusiasm one bit. He drives the car through a deep ...