Film Shorts
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QAL’AT AL MU’AZZAM, Tabuk Province
Qal’at al Mu’azzam is located between Tabuk and Al Ula and was built to protect the water reservoir alongside. This birka (بركة), water tank, pond or pool, provided a much needed source of water for travellers along the Syrian Hajj route. Pilgrims must have rejoiced at its sight whilst traveling to the holy cities of Madinah and Mecca.
Although the main inscription plate on the fort itself states it was finished in 1621 CE, there are many earlier references to the site, in particular the pool of water alongside. For example, Ibn Battuta (1304-1369), a Muslim scholar & explorer, states that the caravan stops at the pool of al-Mu’azzam, a vast basin named after al-Malik al-Mu’azzam, who some believe was Sharaf ad-Din al-Mu’azzam Isa, an Ayyubid Sultan who ruled Damascus in 1218-1227 CE.
Why it was named after him, no one knows. It’s common to name places/buildings after important visitors, so maybe he visited there once?
Later the fortress was built to protect the pool and provide shelter to pilgrims, along with garrisoning soldiers who guarded the route.
The fort certainly is majestic, the presence of the water pool to the side only adds to its appeal. Definitely my favourite fort here in Saudi Arabia.
NABONIDUS on Horseback
Press here to find out more about the last Babylonian King who came and lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years in 552 BCE.
TAFONI SANDSTONE FORMATION
Can also be called fretting, stonelace, stone lattice, honeycomb weathering, and alveolar weathering.
Tafoni (singular: tafone) are small cave-like features found in granular rock such as sandstone, granite, and sandy-limestone with rounded entrances and smooth concave walls, often connected, adjacent, and/or networked. They often occur in groups that can riddle a hillside, cliff, or other rock formation. They can be found in all climate types, but are most abundant in intertidal areas and semi-arid and arid deserts.
These spectacular examples are found northeast of AlUla. I came across them when I was out with the archaeologists documenting their work. I find them utterly intriguing and had to have a closer look.
FLOWERMAN FESTIVAL
Rijal Almaa, Asir Province, Saudi Arabia
A festival of culture, music and stories from the Asir region organised by The Ministry of Culture
ON SITE WITH THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS
Documenting the excavation of an ancient stone structure (Ring Pendant) in AlUla with Dr Hugh Thomas and team from The Prehistoric AlUla and Khaybar Excavation Project (PAKEP).
DAWN OVER KHAYBAR OASIS
One of several ancient oases in Northwestern Saudi Arabia, found on the old Incense Road. A magical land of volcanic valleys full of date palm gardens and citadel forts, overflowing with stories.
Recently activated by the The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
BRONZE AGE STONE CIRCLE
An ancient stone circle still radiant under the eternal skies in Western Saudi Arabia. Believed to have been built during the Bronze Age, approximately 4,000+ years ago. It forms part of a greater collection of shapes; lines, triangles and smaller circles. This main circle is over 30m in diameter and the wall still stands over 1.5m high in places.
