The miracle oasis of the Saudi desert
The more we discover Saudi Arabia’s incredibly rich history the more we realize that the stereotype of the desert land populated by only a few Bedouins living in tents is far from the reality of the Arabian Peninsula’s past.
If it is understandable that during more humid periods human beings could thrive and carve into the rock wonderful testimonies as seen in Jubbah and Shuwaymis, it is truly astonishing that when the climate became much closer to what it is today some ancient oases like Tayma’, Maddain Saleh, Dedan, and Najran could develop over centuries by optimizing the use of limited water resources and relying on trade and proximity to each other.
The case of Qaryat Al-Faw is by far the most compelling example of Arabian genius for making the most of limited resources. Not only is Qaryat Al-Faw still one of the most remote places in Saudi Arabia but the near total absence of vegetation makes this place so inhospitable that there is no village for 100 kilometers around.
Some 2000 years ago, however, this city was thriving thanks to efficient use of underground water resources and income from trade. This flourishing city even has a very special role in the history of Arabia as it was there that was found the first written mention of 'Allah' (God) and it became the capital of the first kingdom of central Arabia.
History of Qaryat Al-Faw
The city of Paradise
In the South Arabian inscriptions, Qaryat al-Faw is referred to as “Qaryat dhat Kahl”, Kahl being the name of the town’s god, but it was also named:
- The City of Paradise (in reference to Dhat al-Jnan) as the palms and greenery must have created a vision of paradise in the middle of a desolated desert
- The Red City (Qaryat Talu or Qaryat al-Hamra’), probably because of the red clay palaces that stood at the centre of the oasis.
A key role on a major trade route
At the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE the frankincense trade roads originating from the ancient Yemeni kingdoms started developing across the Arabian Peninsula. For more than one and half millennia caravans carried this priceless commodity along two main routes to the major empires of those times: the western one going to the Roman Empire and the eastern one going to Mesopotamia and Persia. If the western route could benefit from the numerous oases watered by the wadis of the huge Sarawat mountains, the eastern route crossed the desolate plateau at the center of the Arabian Peninsula along the largest sand dune desert in the world, the Rub' Al-Khali. It is on this second road that Qaryat Al-Faw developed from the end of the 4th century BCE, as the only major oasis city for more than 1000 kilometers between Najran, in the southwest, and Gerrha, on the east of the Arabian Peninsula.
An incredibly cosmopolitan oasis
It is unclear when the city was founded and by whom but an interesting aspect of the history of the city is told through the numerous temples that were excavated at the archeological site. The inscriptions they carry and the artifacts found in them show that the remote oasis was well connected with the whole Arabian Peninsula, and all the way to the Levant.
Two of the oldest remains of Qaryat Al-Faw - the temple of Shams and the altar of Aabit - seem to indicate that a city was built around the end of the 4th century BCE. Around the middle of the 3rd century BCE, the Mineans from Yemen, who were heavily engaged in the caravan trade, settled in Qaryat al-Faw and built a sanctuary as an offering to the divinity Athtar Wadd.
Another major ancient oasis of Arabia from where settlers originated is Dedan, capital of the kingdom of Dedan and later Lihyan, located in the northwest of the Peninsula. The Lihyanites that ruled Dedan for at least two centuries left in Qaryat Al-Faw two major inscriptions on a stela and a lintel. And people from the Hanikain tribe, who were also present in Dedan during the first years of the reign of the state of Lihyan, settled in Qaryat Al-Faw at the same period.
During the 1st century BCE, the most important traders of northwest Arabia, the Nabateans, whose most important city in the Arabian Peninsula was Hegra (also known as Maddain Saleh) were present at Qaryat al-Faw at least until the 2nd centry CE.
Another temple excavated in Qaryat Al-Faw showed strong links with Gaza in the Levant, meaning that despite its remoteness it was connected with the Mediterranean world.
The ancient souq of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
The first capital of Central Arabia
During the first two centuries CE two tribes shared the power in Qaryat Al-Faw and their kings bore the name of both tribes with the title "King of Kindah and Qahtan". During the 3rd century Qaryat Al-Faw endured a series of military expeditions carried out by Sabean and Himyarite kings from ancient Yemen: first Sa'irum Awtar, and later Ilsarah Yahdub and his brother Ya'zul Bayn.
At the end of the third century Qaryat Al-Faw was a vassal city of Himyarite Kings and the leader of the city held the title of "King of Kindah and Madhij", showing that despite the political changes the tribe of Kindah still played a great role. From its capital in Qaryat al-Faw the famous tribe dominated the area of Central Arabia and reached its elevated status at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th centuries CE.
The power of Kindah, along with the importance of Qaryat Al-Faw, weakened during the 4th century, but still attested to as allies of the Himyarites in the oldest inscription of Wadi Massal dating from the beginning of the 5th century CE. Kindah provided two of the most prominent pre-Islamic Arab characters: Hujr Bin 'Amr, considered as the first king of the Arabs, and his grandson, the famous poet Imru' Al-Qays.
The archeological site
Water management and agricultural activities
It is often said that the presence of such a large city proves that the center of the Arabian Peninsula was once covered with lush vegetation thanks to much more humid weather. But if such a climate existed in the past, it was millennia before the foundation of the city of Qaryat Al-Faw that probably took place in the 4th century BCE, a time when the climate was quite similar to what it is today. Hence the only way for the trade city to thrive was to exploit the underground water, which the population of that time did with great skill.
A well of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
The twenty wells that have been excavated at the archeological site testify of the capacity of the people of Qaryat Al-Faw to extract water from the ground and supply it to the population and the farms. Today the channels that directed the water to the heart of the oasis where palms, vines and various cereals were grown are still visible. The trunks of palms and other trees were used to make the roofs of the houses, while planks made from local or imported wood were used for doors and windows and household tools, such as combs. Animal breeding was an important activity: the inhabitants owned herds of cattle, sheep, goats and camels, and used their manure to fertilize the fields.
The residential area
The fact that Qaryat al-Faw was so remote possibly explains why the population didn't feel the need to build any wall or fortress to protect it. It was an easily accessible trading town and a staging point for travellers, merchants and pilgrims. The residents constructed several large gateways on the north, south and west sides of the town. The building walls were constructed with sun-baked brick but the foundations, tombs and funerary towers were all made of cut stone. The filler used was made from a mixture of plaster, sand, and ash.
Residential area of Qaryat Al-Faw at the bottom of the Tuwayq escarpment (photo: Florent Egal)
All the buildings were characterized by the care with which they were constructed and the thickness of their walls, reaching up to 1.8 meters in width. The doors and house frames were made of wood. Almost all the houses had a floor reached by stairs (the shell of the stairway was used as a storage place and for grinding grain). They were equipped with a system of water supply and outdoor pits for waste. We can also suppose that latrines existed on the upper floor.
The residential area comprises also the main palace of Qaryat Al-Faw that used to be the residence of the Kings of Central Arabia.
Main palace of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
The market (souq)
The market lay to the east of the residential district, on the west bank of the wadi that separates the Tuwaiq cliffs from the edge of the town. With a length of 30.75 metres running east-west and 25.2 metres north-south, the massive enclosure wall was composed of three parts: the central section built from limestone blocks, and the internal and external facings made from sun-baked brick.
This sturdy three-storied construction was equipped with seven towers. The only entrance, on the west side, was a small door that opened onto the central court where a very deep stone well had been dug. At the center of this courtyard is a big well from where a water channel runs along rooms, stores, and shops.
Water channel inside the souq (photo: Florent Egal)
The temples
Three temples and an altar have been found at Qaryat al-Faw. South Arabian inscriptions have revealed which divinities they were dedicated to, such as Al-Ahwar, Shams, Athtar, Wadd, and also dhu Ghabat of the kingdom of Lihyan.
South Arabian inscription in a temple of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
The necropolises
One of the visual features of Qaryat al-Faw is its tower shaped tombs that were built for the most prominent residents like Ma‘sad ibn ‘Arsch. But the city hosts a great diversity of types of tombs, which correspond to the different periods during which the site was occupied.
Tower tombs of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
Next to each tower underground tombs were dug with several burial chambers that are still accessible by stairs.
The public cemeteries on the north-east of the city were the burial grounds for the less fortunate citizens of the town. They are similar to Muslim cemeteries, consisting of an irregularly shaped terrain between one and five meters in depth, which has remained practically unchanged nor been covered with lime.
Inside a tomb of Qaryat Al-Faw (photo: Florent Egal)
Artefacts
The archeological site of Qaryat Al-Faw has provided some of the finest pieces of ancient Arabian art including wall paintings, statues, jewellery, coins, glass, pottery, ceramic,... Some of those unique masterpieces are part of the famous exhibition Roads of Arabia.
Fragment of a wall painting showing a Kindite king of the 1st century CE (source: wikimedia)
How to visit Qaryat Al-Faw
Qaryat Al-Faw is just few hundred meters from the highway south of Wadi Ad-Dawasir but it can't be approached by a two-wheel-drive car as the terrain is sandy.
The archeological site is closed so visitors have to be accompanied by tour guides that can arrange access.
Tour operators organizing trips at Qaryat Al-Faw
Horizons ToursThe Horizons Tours "Saudi Desert Wanderers", certified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), specializes in unraveling the[...]
