- Title: Preserved ancient cave site lures visitors in Saudi Arabia
- Date: 12th August 2018
- Summary: AL AHSA, SAUDI ARABIA (AUGUST 5, 2018) (REUTERS) AL-QARAH MOUNTAINS PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH PATHWAY BETWEEN MOUNTAINS MOUNTAIN PEAKS VARIOUS OF MOUNTAINS AND PATHWAYS PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH SITE VARIOUS OF PATHWAYS BETWEEN MOUNTAINS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY HEAD OF AL AHSA TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, ABDELLATIF AL-AARFAJ, SAYING: "The mountain is a natural landmark that has been around for millions of years. It is in its original condition, we didn't change anything in it, but we developed it in a way that doesn't affect its natural state or its basic geological composition. Just some light fixtures and some work on the pathways." VARIOUS OF RESTAURANT IN CAVE WATER FOUNTAIN PEOPLE POSING FOR PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VISITOR, KHALED AL-MUSHARRAF, SAYING: "Honestly I was amazed by this, I did not expect it to look like this. I always thought it was a mountain but didn't know that there was a cave (in it), or that we could walk through pathways and that the pathways had cool air going through them. In the summer it has a cool breeze and in the winter a warm breeze, so that really amazed me." VISITORS WALKING THROUGH PATHWAY EMPTY PATHWAY FAMILY STANDING IN PATHWAY VARIOUS OF PATHWAYS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GEOLOGIST, ALI AMER, SAYING: "The environment in which (the mountains) were formed was made up of coastal lakes, it was not formed in rivers, nor even in the ocean. The caves inside, each of them was caused by different factors. For example, the one we are in now was formed because of earthquakes in the beginning, but then it expanded because of eroding factors like water, rain and wind." VARIOUS OF PATHWAYS BETWEEN MOUNTAINS VARIOUS OF ARTWORKS ATTACHED TO SIDE OF MOUNTAINS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VISITOR, MOHAMMED AL-RMEIHI, SAYING: "As a first time visitor, I did not have any information about the mountain, so I did not know what to expect. I just thought it was a large area, it turns out that it was small but very well-utilised. Also the shape of the rocks and the designs, the pathways that start out as narrow but get wider, I liked that." VARIOUS OF MOUNTAINS AND ROCKS ILLUMINATED WITH BLUE LIGHT
- Embargoed: 26th August 2018 13:55
- Keywords: caves in Saudi Arabia Saudi caves Saudi history Saudi culture Saudi heritage Saudi tourism eco-tourism in Saudi Arabia
- Location: AL AHSA, SAUDI ARABIA
- City: AL AHSA, SAUDI ARABIA
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA0018SVSRBP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In the mountains of Jabal Al-Qarah in northeast Saudi Arabia is a network of ancient caves and winding passageways that authorities hope will attract tourists.
The site was recently developed and fitted with colourful lights to lure visitors, but the work was carried out in a way that would not alter the rocks' natural state.
"The mountain is a natural landmark that has been around for millions of years. It is in its original condition, we didn't change anything in it, but we developed it in a way that doesn't affect its natural state or its geological composition," said the deputy head of the tourism and entertainment company in Al Ahsa, Abdellatif Al-Aarfaj.
For visitor Khaled Al-Musharraf, a trip to Jabal Al-Qarah's caves offered a brief escape from Saudi Arabia's scorching summer heat.
"I always thought it was a mountain but didn't know that there was a cave (in it), or that we could walk through pathways and that the pathways had cool air going through them. In the summer it has a cool breeze and in the winter a warm breeze," he said.
For the less conventional type, a restaurant has recently opened its doors to visitors offering them a dinner experience in the mountains.
The Jabal Al-Qarah Mountains, which feature 28 pathways that are 1.5-kilometres-long, are located in the city of Al Ahsa. The city is home to one of the world’s largest natural agricultural oases.
Al Ahsa became the country's fifth UNESCO World Heritage site this year and the U.N. agency describes it as an "exceptional example of human interaction with the environment".
Wahhabism, the ultra-conservative branch of Islam that emerged in Saudi Arabia some 250 years ago, regards the veneration of objects, especially those predating the Prophet Mohammed's life in the 7th century, as tantamount to idolatry, and has advocated their neglect or outright destruction.
But under reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has vowed to promote a more moderate form of Islam, the kingdom has allocated $1 billion to preserve its heritage.
Many of the cultural areas date back thousands of years and the attention given to them could risk a possible backlash from religious fundamentalists. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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