THE JABAL QARAH MOUNTAIN

An aerial view of Jabal Qarah Mountain, embraced by old Qarah Village in Al Hasa. The palm groves are seen surrounding the village on all sides.

The Al-Hasa region is the largest oasis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has a dry, tropical climate, with a five-month summer and a relatively cold winter. It is famous for its palm groves and the Jabal Qarah Mountain.

... chunks of fallen limestones near the entrance to the cave ...

The Jabal Qarah Mountain, east of Hofuf, is one of the tourist attractions of the region. Date palms encircle this hill in a fascinating view that shows nature’s beauty and charm. It’s worth mentioning that the hill contains a cave, which is very cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The mountain is also known as Ash-Shab’an (the satiated). It is surrounded by rivers and palms. It is named after a large, well-known eastern village in promixity of the mountain.

... limestone ledge ...

... these limestones have really taken shapes ...

... one of the limestone pillars ...

... it's hot up here, sadiq! ...

The mountain has series of very deep and narrow joint-controlled fissures in a massive limestone outcropping. Most passages are open to the sky, but cool air settles in the fissures. The cave's main passage is almost three meters wide and 30 meters high. Most of the passages are illuminated during the brightest part of the day, but some passages beneath breakdown wedges attain absolute darkness for short distances. The floor generally is smooth and slopes gently toward the entrance.