A friend of mine recently visited Tabuk, a region in the northeast of the Kingdom, only to come back disappointed with what she had witnessed. That, to me, was a mystery, since I had been to the region a few years ago and had marveled at its historic richesse and its coastal charm.
Indeed, the beauty of the Biblical and Qur’anic Midian region lies in its soft coastline, its historic remains and its far-stretching deserts.
Turns out she had only been to the city and not the outskirts.
Flower-filled Tabuk, as it is known, is an excellent agricultural terrain and home to the Tabuk Agricultural Company, one of the biggest in the Middle East.
The city itself is calmer and cleaner than Jeddah, however boring. Even the local malls are painfully modest and relatively lifeless.
Nonetheless, there remain ample historical sites to visit within the city’s borders.
Tabuk Castle, built around four centuries ago, is located in the heart of the city and is used as a Haj meeting point for pilgrims.
The castle, previously known as Wadreen Castle, or “Qalat Wadreen” in Arabic, has a bad reputation among locals, who believe the site used to be a station for Turkish soldiers, who would torture their detainees.
The name of the castle even became a common proverb among locals, thanks to the word “qala” resembling the Arabic for “get lost.”
Al-Tawbah Mosque is situated near the castle, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had allegedly conducted prayers for 10 consecutive nights during the Battle of Tabuk in 630 AC.
There is also a remaining section of the Hijaz Railway, an Ottoman railway network that ran from Damascus to Madinah at the city’s entrance, where a new regional museum is currently being built.
Across the Region
Traveling to the city’s outskirts and the region at large made the trip all the more interesting.
My favorite was Hisma desert, a chain of high-standing, reddish mountains that were enshrouded by a dense blanket of cloud when I had set eyes on them.
The mountains were so flat, you would think they had been chiseled with a blade. The sand was so soft that our feet sunk into the warm earth.
Near the center of the Hisma desert lie the rudiments of the Rawafah Temple, a small, square building of stone blocks surrounded with a fence.
The Temple is said to be built by Thamud, a pre-Islamic Arabian tribe, in honor of a Roman emperor back in 166 AC. There were several Nabataean inscriptions on the ruins.
Al-Louz mountain is the highest in Hisma and the most famous in the entire region.
In winter, Al-Louz gets covered in snow, becoming a major tourist attraction.
One resident had even said that two men from Riyadh had once asked him where “Al-Louz city” was from how much they had heard about it.
Dissa valley, located 200 km southwest of Tabuk, had the most greenery I had encountered in the region.
The narrow valley is surrounded by the Qaraqir mountains.
The area is richly covered with Doum palms, which have more branches than regular palm trees, with fruit that look relatively similar, but quite a bit bigger, than dates.
The most memorable scene in Dissa was that of the “blue oasis,” as locals call it.
The lush plot of fertile land is guarded by these mountains, from where springs gush forth.
The abundance of water in the area breaks the intensity of the colors, making it easier on the eye.
The area also includes historical remains.
What was sad, however, was the litter that dotted the area. Water bottles and food wrappers had been left by careless visitors, creating a great deal of visual pollution in the area.
Almost 264 km southeast Tabuk city lays Tayma, a large oasis with a long history of settlement.
It is ironic that I had experienced the highest degree of serenity in Tayma even though its historical depth evoked intense reflection that had me doubting my memory at many a moment.
According to the German Archaeological Institute, the small town has been an inhabited site since the Bronze Age, a time period renowned for the use of copper.
Over the course of time, the area had become home to a series of civilizations, including the Lihyan tribes and the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Passing by Alablaq Palace, meanwhile, had me pondering the concept of loyalty.
The pale palace commemorates As-Samawal bin Adiya, an Arabian poet and warrior who was held in high esteem by locals for his loyalty after sacrificing his son’s life to keep a promise. You can see the remains of the palace fortress encircling the town with the exception of its northern side.
Radam and Hamra palaces are also significant. There is an ancient wide and deep well that is still filled with water, known as the Haddaj well, east of Tayma. In fact, a generous person is referred to as “haddaj tayma” among locals.
The well is surrounded by several rope pumps, which I believe were put there just for decoration to add to the vintage look.
Coastal Serenity
The most enjoyable part of the trip was along the region’s coast.
Almost 380 km north of Madinah rests Umluj, a tiny village with a small population, mostly from the Juhainah tribe.
Umluj has a long history as a prosperous trade center. It used to be a vital port along the shores of the Red Sea.
We wanted to stay there the night, but found nowhere to stay since it was the beginning of the summer vacation and all the sea cabins, apartments and hotels along the coast were fully booked.
We had no choice but to head to Al-Wajh, a small town overlooking the Red Sea almost 180 km from Umluj, to find somewhere to stay.
Even there, we ended up staying at an acquaintance’s house due to the scarcity of accommodation.
Early in the morning, we had our
breakfast in front of the vast sea with its blurry ends.
It was a pleasant experience in an open, quiet area, with its fresh air and panoramic backdrop, away from the claustrophobic and crowded life back in Jeddah.
Diving and fishing are common activities among Al-Wajh locals.
Around 240 km from Tabuk, in the northwest corner of the Kingdom toward the Gulf of Aqaba, rests one of the most famous coastal attractions for tourists.
Haql is a small town along the Red Sea coastline, from where you can see the Sinai mountains standing tall across the other side of the sea.
Near the shore, you see the famous half-sunken ship covered with rust stains lying in the water on its side.
Although the ship is just an ordinary Greek merchant vessel that was passing through the area more than two decades ago, the myths surrounding its fate have glorified its presence.
The ship is included in tourist itineraries and locals often use it as a jump board.
There are many other quiet and clean coastal destinations in the area, such as Rass Al-Sheikh Hameed, Sharma, Magna and Duba.
These coasts are characterized by scenic clean seas and tranquility.
My number one tip would be to book in advance (and not to expect clean public toilets).
Yet there still remain several other historic sites to see in the region, such as Muazzam Castle and Dhat Al-Haj near the Halat Ammar port.
The region offers a variety of activities, from mountain-climbing to hunting and from diving to fishing.
“Seejah” is a local game common among the older generation with rules similar to chess, but which is played with stones instead of a Staunton set.
There remains a lot to be discovered about the Kingdom and a lot that has been overlooked. The Tabuk region, as I discovered, was definitely one of these places.
Local Dishes
Khame’a
Khame’a is a simple popular dish in the Tabuk region. It is rich in fat, which makes it a perfect meal during winters. The dish ingredients vary slightly from one tribe to another, says Abdulrrahman Alatawi, a local.
Some call it “Fattah.”
Ingredients:
Saj bread
Seedless dates
Milk
Butter
Cooking method:
Pour milk on top of dates and stir gradually on low heat.
Once the dates have melted into the milk, add the bread incrementally while stirring.
Finally, add butter to the middle of the dish and some black seeds.
Photos by: Majid and Abdulrahman Alatawi
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