Why this ride
A 134 km round trip from Julayjilah - roughly 2 h 37 in the saddle. On the way it passes Jawatha archaeological site, Al-Asfar Lake and back through Jawatha archaeological site.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
`Ain Qinas archaeological site and Al-Asfar Lake
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 134 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 37
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Jawatha archaeological site → Al-Asfar Lake
Slow enough to look. The surface follows the shoreline, so the corners arrive where the water decided, not where an engineer did. Water arrives beside the road and stays for 19 km. The line follows the shore because there is nowhere else for it to go.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 42 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. `Ain Qinas archaeological site
Ain Qinas is a spring, one of many that bubble up through the oasis of Al-Ahsa, and it is one of the reasons for the place's long life. The water emerges warm from deep rock, at a steady temperature, and has been channelled for centuries into stone-lined pools and a network of canals that irrigate the groves. For people crossing an arid peninsula, this must have seemed like a miracle, and the springs and their surroundings are part of the oasis's World Heritage listing. The site is a pleasant, shaded corner where palm trees lean over the water and the sound of running water is constant.
Read the complete `Ain Qinas archaeological site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
`Ain Qinas archaeological site is where the day begins. Next is Jawatha archaeological site.
2. Jawatha archaeological site
Jawatha is an ancient name that appears in the early history of Islam. The mosque here, in the oasis region of Al-Ahsa in eastern Saudi Arabia, is said to be one of the first places outside Medina where Friday prayers were held, in the seventh century, after the tribe of Abd al-Qays accepted the new faith. What remains today is a ruin of low mud-brick walls and the outline of a prayer hall, in a quiet spot among palms and farmland, and it carries great weight for local people.
Read the complete Jawatha archaeological site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Jawatha archaeological site comes up about 27 km into the recorded legs. Next is Al-Asfar Lake.
3. Al-Asfar Lake
The Al-Ahsa oasis in eastern Saudi Arabia is a green island in a very large desert. Under the sand lie huge aquifers, and springs rise to the surface to feed an area of about eighty-five square kilometres of date palms, said to be the largest oasis in the world, with perhaps two and a half million trees. It lies not far from the Gulf coast, near the city of Hofuf, and it has been settled for thousands of years, from the Bronze Age through the ancient Dilmun culture and into Islamic times. UNESCO listed it in 2018 as an evolving cultural landscape.
Read the complete Al-Asfar Lake write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 69 km into the recorded legs you reach Al-Asfar Lake. Next is back through Jawatha archaeological site.
4. back through Jawatha archaeological site
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Jawatha archaeological site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Jawatha archaeological site, late in the day. Next is `Ain Qinas archaeological site.
5. `Ain Qinas archaeological site
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete `Ain Qinas archaeological site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at `Ain Qinas archaeological site. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
`Ain Qinas archaeological site to Jawatha archaeological site
`Ain Qinas archaeological site → Jawatha archaeological site is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Jawatha archaeological site to Al-Asfar Lake
Jawatha archaeological site → Al-Asfar Lake is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Al-Asfar Lake to back through Jawatha archaeological site
Al-Asfar Lake → back through Jawatha archaeological site is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Jawatha archaeological site to `Ain Qinas archaeological site
back through Jawatha archaeological site → `Ain Qinas archaeological site is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.