Why this ride
161 km from Al Baţţālīyah to Al Baţţālīyah, about 2 h 31 of riding. On the way it passes Al-Asfar Lake, Al-`Oyun village and back through Al-Asfar Lake. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Jawatha archaeological site and Al-`Oyun village
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 161 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 31
- 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 18 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Al-Asfar Lake.
2. 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
Al-Asfar Lake comes up about 42 km into the recorded legs. Next is Al-`Oyun village.
3. Al-`Oyun village
Al-Uyun means the springs, and this village in the Al-Ahsa oasis is named for the water that has made life possible here for centuries. Rising from deep aquifers, the springs fed channels that ran through the palm groves and gave Al-Ahsa the reputation of being one of the greenest places in Arabia. Travellers who crossed the desert described the sound of running water and the smell of damp earth as a kind of miracle, and the village still has an air of coolness and shade even when the sun beats down on the surrounding sand.
Read the complete Al-`Oyun village 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-`Oyun village. Next is back through Al-Asfar Lake.
4. back through Al-Asfar Lake
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Al-Asfar Lake, late in the day. Next is Jawatha archaeological site.
5. 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 at Jawatha archaeological site. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
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 Al-`Oyun village
Al-Asfar Lake → Al-`Oyun village is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Al-`Oyun village to back through Al-Asfar Lake
Al-`Oyun village → back through Al-Asfar Lake is 50 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Al-Asfar Lake to Jawatha archaeological site
back through Al-Asfar Lake → Jawatha archaeological site is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.