Pale Crag Martin – Lake Dumat Al Jandal

Whilst in the Al Jouf area last winter we visited Lake Dumat Al Jandal and on the second day visited the far side of the lake away from the tourist area. This side had steppe cliffs leading from the water’s edge and when we got there, there were plenty of Pale Crag Martins flying around. This is not an easy bird to photograph in flight with a heavy 600mm lens but I tried my best and got a few reasonable shots. It is a common breeding resident in Saudi Arabia but in winter, large groups gather in the north of the Kingdom often near cliffs but also over pivot fields. 

Al Dar'i Quarter - Dumat Al-Jundal

Al Dar'i Quarter is located in the neighborhood of Omar Bin Al Khatab Mosque and Marid fortress, which represent the old quarter of Dumat Al Jandal. Al Dar'i Quarter is considered to be one of remaining antiquities of Dumat Al Jandal's ancient city. The quarter dates back to the middle Islamic age and is based on layers of archaeological works dating back to the mid-first millennium BC. The neighborhood is characterized by the stone buildings and stone lanes between the gardens and water from nearby springs. The old quarter is built on the ruins of the earlier revivals which can be seen in multiple layers, as well as the emergence of the old road of the district under the existing buildings. The site is in Dumat Al Jandal that Assyrian sources indicate as (Odomato) or (Adoumo) and that it was located within the property of Arab tribe of Qedar. References to Dumat Al Jandal began in the third century AD in the reign of the famous Arabian Queen (Zenobia) it seems that the Queen had invaded Dumat Al-Jandal, but the city had a fortified castle that the Queen had not been able to storm. Then she return back unrewarded where she expressed in two words “The Marid insurgency and Al Ablaq Glory". Marid was a giant palace in Dumat Al Jandal and Al Ablaq is a famous palace in Tem'a. the city emerged once again in the historical record in the fifth century AD when it was taken over by the Arabian King Amro Al Qaiss. These episodes were followed by the emergence of Al Ekaidar Kingdom. It is the home of many historic & prehistoric archaeological sites such Za'bal Castle & Well, the Umar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, located in Dowmat Al-Jandal and Mard Castle (just south of Sakaka). There are also the ancient Rajajil standing stones in Sakaka, dating back nearly 6,000 years. The oasis of Dumat Al-Jandal is located in the very heart of the province of Al Jawf, 50 km south of Sakaka, the capital town and the seat of the Al-Jawf Emirate. It is the largest and best-known oasis at the northern limit of the great al-Nafud desert. Its geographical position means that in the past it lay on both the east-west and north-south routes and became a natural port of call for traders. The town has survived through the ages thanks to the local ability to exploit water, which is supplied by a complex hydraulic system of wells, channels, and underground tunnels named Qanât. Over the centuries, it is believed that Dumat al-Jandal served as an important station in the complex system of trade routes crossing the Arabian Peninsula, both from the north to south and from east to west. The oasis is located half way between the main urban settlements that developed along the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia and Syria-Palestine), the Arabian Gulf (Faîlaka, Bahrain, Thaj, etc) and Western Arabia –Madain Salih, Tayma, etc). From the 8th century BCE, Assyrian texts refer to caravans arriving in Assyria from the “far off peoples of Tayma and Saba”. In order to reach Mesopotamia they could have passed through ancient Adummat, which is today’s Dumat al-Jandal. During the 1st century BCE Dumat al-Jandal was incorporated in the Nabatean Empire and developed a rich culture till the 2nd century CE when it merged with Roman civilization following the inclusion of the oasis within the province of Arabia Petraea. From the 1st century CE onwards, Dumat al-Jandal is mentioned in Roman sources in relation to its strategic geographical position and as a commercial station in the north of the peninsula. In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder speaks of “Domatha” as an important oasis. Ptolemy, in the 2nd century CE also mentions “Dumaetha” in his Geography, describing it as a large city in Arabia. In later Roman times the oasis was included in a trade circuit leading to Byzantium. The last attestations of commercial activity in the oasis date to the first centuries of the Islamic era. In the 7th century Dumat al-Jandal saw four expeditions led by Prophet Mohamed and his companions and was fully subjugated by Islam in the days of first caliph Abu Bakr Assediq. The site’s status as a major trade city only began to diminish in the 9th century CE when the caravan trade switched essentially to Makka and Medina and followed the pilgrimage routes or lead to Damascus and Baghdad by the Zubayda route.

Looking for See See Partridge – Sakaka

We went to Sakaka in the hope of locating See See Partrige that has been seen there in the past. We went to a location, on two separate days where birds were seen in 2017, but failed to find them or almost any birds of any type. We only saw a few White-crowned Wheatear, several Desert Larks and a five Crested Larks. The area is currently being developed, with large construction works going on, so maybe the Partridges have moved off because of the disturbance. Even when they were seen in 2017 they were only seen on one date despite additional searches of the area by the finders who were carrying out an environmental survey.

White-crowned Wheatear

Desert Lark

The Umar bin al-Khattab Mosque

The Mosque of Umar bin al-Khattab is situated in the town of Dawmat al-Jandal, a major intersection of ancient trade routes linking Mesopotamia, Syria and the Arabian Peninsula. The Umar bin al-Khattab Mosque is the most emblematic monument in the Al Jawf province.According to Saudi scholars it was erected in the Umayyad period (661-749) although some attribute its construction to the time of Islam’s second caliph ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (634-644). Pyramidal in shape, the minaret has five stories rising to a height of about 15 metres, and ends with a kind of pyramidion. The plan of the mosque is similar to that of the Prophet Mohamed’s house in al-Madina, although smaller. The minaret would have been built later and its original orientation, different from the Qibla, could be explained by the orientation of the alley and the construction of the adjacent neighborhood. The mosque itself was built in 634-644. However, the actual building appears to have been built in a much later period, casting doubt upon its attribution to Umar Ibn al-Khattab. Some scholars attribute it to the Umayyad Caliph Omar bin Abul Aziz, and some believe that the mosque was named after Bani'Amr, a tribe that settled in Dawmat al-Jandal. The north (qibla) wall of the mosque faces the al-Marid castle across a street. On its other three sides, it is surrounded by dense urban fabric. Like the other old buildings in the town, the mosque is built in stone. It is composed of a courtyard preceding the main prayer hall to the south and another space, also used for prayer, to the north. The minaret is at the southwestern corner of the prayer hall bridging over a street. The mosque is entered through a door situated in the qibla wall, near the minaret. The prayer hall is formed by three rows of stone pillars, running parallel to the qibla wall. The pillars are all by wooden lintels, which in turn support layers of stone that are roofed by mud-plastered acacia and palm trunks. The mihrab is a narrow, highly pointed niche in the center of the qibla wall, and is defined by a similar niche with three built-in stone steps to its right. The mihrab, the minbar, and the lower part of the qibla wall are plastered white. Viewed from the exterior, one sees that the mihrab and minbar protrude slightly out of the qibla wall. Also visible is an exposed stone staircase constructed along the qibla wall from the street side that reaches the mud roof. The minaret shaft has a rectangular shape that tapers upward to end in a pyramidal roof. The four internal floors of the shaft were accessed by a now-collapsed spiral staircase entered from the mosque. On each side of the minaret, and on each floor, a rectangular window with a stone lintel provides lighting for its interior. The north (qibla) wall of the mosque faces the al-Marid castle across a street. On its other three sides, it is surrounded by dense urban fabric. Like the other old buildings in the town, the mosque is built in stone. It is composed of a courtyard preceding the main prayer hall to the south and another space, also used for prayer, to the north. The Saud family is believed to have rebuilt the prayer hall in 1793. Later, in the mid- nineteenth century, the Saud family restored the mosque. In 1975, buildings surrounding the minaret from the south and the west were demolished, and the minaret and the mosque restored yet again.

Largest gathering of Black-necked Grebe in KSA – Lake Dumat Al Jandal

Whilst in the Al Jouf area this winter we visited Lake Dumat Al Jandal. This lake has held numerous good birds in the past including Bewick’s Swam and White-tailed Duck. We saw some good birds here including Pochard, Whiskered and White-winged Terns and plenty of Little Grebes. The Little grebes were however, vastly outnumbered by Black-necked Grebes, which totaled 192 birds. There were probably slightly more than this as we could not see all the small bays on the far side of the lake from where we were counting. This is the largest gathering of this species I know of for Saudi Arabia and it was a truly amazing spectacle.

Marid Castle - Dumat Al-Jundal

Qasr Marid is a castle in Dumat Al-Jandal, in the north of Saudi Arabia built before 272 CE. Its walls are 80 cm to 1 metre thick and it commanded the old city of Adumato. The castle Marid (which means “the rebel” in Arabic) stands on a natural limestone outcrop overlooking the valley where the ancient oasis lies. Its position, occupying what appears to have been a genuine acropolis, suggests that this must have been the site of one of the oldest settlements at Dumat al-Jandal. It dates back to at least Nabatean times and is mentioned in the records of the Assyrian era but texts do not specify the time of the building of Marid Castle or who built it. The Marid castle is a giant walled fortress built on a high plateau overlooking the ancient city of Dumat al-Jandal. Some of its parts have been rebuilt, but most of its other parts remain as it was in ancient times. The form of the original building was rectangular but some additions including conical towers which look as if they have been added at a later period. The lower part of the building has been made of mud. The few excavations which have been made in the lower part in 1976, revealed some Nabatean and Roman pottery which dated back to the first and second century BC.

Male Finsch’s Wheatear – Lake Dumat Al Jandal

Finsch’s Wheatear is a scarce but widespread, winter visitor to Saudi Arabia, mainly to the northern areas of the Kingdom. Migratory populations breed from Turkey to northern Pakistan and winter up to 1,000 km south from Palestine through northern Arabia to Pakistan. They prefer habitat of remote stony plains with sparse vegetation. We saw the bird in a stony area next to Lake Dumat Al Jandal where it was constantly on the move. It would occasionally sit up on high rocks for several seconds before moving off looking for food. This is only the third time I have seen the species in Kingdom and was a pleasant surprise as we had not seen many birds before locating this wheatear.

Sisra Well

Sisra Well is located in the northern end of the city about 200 metres from Za’abal Castle and dates back to the Nabataean Period (First century BC until the end of the first century AD). The well is dug in sandstone, is oval in shape and is about 15 metres deep and nine by eight metres across and has a hole in the eastern side that was used to irrigate the surrounding farms. The well currently has no water in it. It is made of stones in its top with a wide hole and engraved staircase reaching the bottom of the well and there is also a tunnel at the eastern side in the bottom of the well, which is feeding the farms with water that are located in the lower areas about three kilometers away from the city. The well has dried out a long time ago but it dates back to Nabatean period. Sisrah Well is considered as one of the most significant antiquities in the region. It took its name from the Kanaani military commander, Sisrah who fought the Jews in Palestine as the commander of Kanaani army. His name is mentioned in Torah and Christian holy books as a Jew. Some people connect name of Sisrah to the name Cesar as an English translation to the name of Cesar in the western culture.

Steppe Eagle - Dumat Al Jandal

Steppe Eagle is now a common winter visitor to Saudi Arabia, with thousands wintering in certain locations. A singe bird was seen in the Al Jouf area but gave great views flying around overhead. We originally saw the bird flying near a roadside pool but it was later seen flying further down the road where it gave better views. Steppe Eagles are globally Endangered so to see birds in Saudi Arabia, like any eagles, is always enjoyable.

Prince Mountain - Sakaka

Prince Mountain is located near Zaabal Castle to the northeast side. At the foot of the mountain there is an old cemetery surrounded by low fence which is also bears the same name. The name of the mountain is explained as for its height and its steep gradient. Engraved on it are thirteen women wearing head coverings in addition to a small number of drawings of animals and some inscriptions. There are graphics of a picture of a camel and the image of a man on a camel, as well as a picture of two men of interlocking hands. Modern engravings have defaced some of the mountain but the original inscriptions and engravings can still be seen.