Qasr Sahood and Jawatha archaeological site

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Qasr Sahood

   Al-Ahsa is the world's largest date-palm oasis, and Qasr Sahood stands in the middle of it, in the busy city of Al Mubarraz. The oasis owes its existence to natural springs that rise from deep aquifers, so abundant that for centuries they fed canals and pools across tens of thousands of hectares of gardens, with several million palms shading rice, vegetables and fruit trees underneath. In the middle of an enormous desert, the effect is startling: green, wet, shaded and noisy with birds. UNESCO recognised the oasis in 2018 as a cultural landscape, and the fortress and the old mosques are part of the picture.

   Read the complete Qasr Sahood write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Qasr Sahood is where the day begins. Next is `Ain Qinas archaeological site.

2. 2. `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 comes up about 28 km into the recorded legs. Next is Jawatha archaeological site.

3. 3. 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

   about 60 km into the recorded legs you reach Jawatha archaeological site. Next is back through `Ain Qinas archaeological site.

4. 4. back through `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 through `Ain Qinas archaeological site, late in the day. Next is Qasr Sahood.

5. 5. Qasr Sahood

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Qasr Sahood write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Qasr Sahood. That is the ride.