Jabal Al-Qarah

Jabal Al-Qarah rises from the palm groves of Al-Ahsa oasis in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, about 15 kilometres east of the city of Hofuf. It is a flat-topped hill of limestone and sandstone standing about 75 metres above the surrounding plain, close to the village of Al-Qarah.

Al-Ahsa is one of the largest palm oases in the world, and it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2018 as an evolving cultural landscape. Jabal Al-Qarah is one of the parts of that listing. The hill has long been a local landmark, and the caves were used for shelter and for storing goods because they stay cool.

Wind and water have carved the hill into deep, narrow passages, tall chimneys and rounded shapes. The best known cave system can be entered on foot through a winding path between high rock walls. Even in summer the temperature inside is much lower than outside, which made the caves a traditional summer retreat. Paths and lighting have been added to part of the cave system, and a viewing point on the hill looks over the palm groves.

Near the hill are potteries where local craftsmen still make traditional clay pots, and the wider oasis has springs, old mosques and the Ibrahim Palace in Hofuf.

The developed cave area charges an entry fee and has set opening hours. Guided tours are offered. Wear sturdy shoes, as the floors are uneven.

The oasis around the hill is the reason for its fame. Al-Ahsa covers about 85.4 square kilometres and is counted as the largest oasis in the world. More than 2.5 million palm trees grow there, fed by a huge underground aquifer and more than 280 artesian springs, and they produce over 100,000 tonnes of dates a year. That water is what made year-round farming possible in a region that is otherwise sand desert.

People have lived here since prehistoric times because of the springs. Around the year 1000, Al-Ahsa was one of the largest cities in the world, with about 100,000 inhabitants, and its capital then stood at al-Muminiya near today's Hofuf. Hofuf and Al-Mubarraz are now two of the bigger cities in Saudi Arabia, and the region also sits above Ghawar, the largest conventional oil field in the world.

From the top of Jabal Al-Qarah the contrast is clear: a dense green belt of palms stops sharply where the sand begins. Combine the caves with a drive through the palm groves and a stop at one of the springs.