Hajar mountains. Jabal al-Hajjar mountains. Flora of the UAE

Yes, giant supermarkets, skyscrapers and ubiquitous high-tech are the “face” of the Emirates. But if the desert is the “soul” of the Arabian country, then the Khajar Mountains are its heart. They existed before “big oil” and will remain after it. And if tourists from all over the world strive to go to Dubai, then the Arabs themselves flee “Dubai” to the Khajar Mountains on weekends. Let’s look at them.

The ridge of the Hajar Mountains, which stretch parallel to the coast in the United Arab Emirates Indian Ocean, has not yet become a tourist “mecca” of the region. Although the eastern end of the ridge, abutting the Strait of Hormuz (separates the UAE and Iran), called Musandam, has already become a cult place for divers and wealthy vacationers who do not like the fuss of expensive, but “promoted” resorts.

There are no excursions to Hadjar: as the local guides explained to us, “this is a specific request, the general public is not interested in this.” We don’t pretend to appeal to the “broad masses,” so we explored the beauty of these mountains on our own: sometimes by car, sometimes on foot.

We crossed the mountain range in the afternoon; play of light and shadow, brown, gray and red stone...

Far away, over the Strait of Hormuz - clouds:

Where 30 years ago there were only caravan trails laid along the dry beds of seasonal mountain streams, today there is first-class asphalt:

The close proximity of mountain streams and the moisture available in them is a good help for growing palm groves in individual valleys:

The vegetation of the Hadjar Mountains - where it exists - looks like this:

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A traditional trip to nature for us as a family or company (“for barbecue”) in the UAE looks like this:

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If you look closely, in the next photo you can see fire pits above a dry river - a wadi; As a rule, people go to such places for the whole day, and food is prepared here:

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and this is how this place looks “life-size”, from the mountain plateau above the wadi:

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The mountains are literally dotted with drying mountain rivers - wadis. The most beautiful thing, we heard from the locals, is to walk along the wadi. But for this you need a guide who knows the surroundings and an all-wheel drive jeep: another car according to mountain roads It won’t work, and you won’t be able to walk much with your feet in the “bald” mountains, hot from the sun.

View of the wadi:

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This sign (“For families only”) is intended to restrict entry into the recreation area for non-family couples and noisy groups. All for the benefit of the unshakable traditions of the Muslim family.

There should be no temptations for the eyes of devout Muslims even on vacation. In case of misunderstandings with foreigners, the police will immediately come to the rescue.

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Maybe because we crossed the Khojar Mountains on Friday (a day off), we met many such companies:

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And the sun is getting lower:

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At the entrance to Dibba, an ancient port on the shores of the Gulf of Oman:

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The difference in the lighting of the mountains is clearly visible in the following two photographs, taken in almost the same place on both sides of the road. On the left are mountains in a bluish haze:

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to the right of the road is the same mountain range, but very “rusted”:

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In the bays where the mountains come close to the Indian Ocean, hotel complexes grow like mushrooms after rain. Look to the left - mountains and ocean:

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And to the right is the ocean:

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The crisis here also suspended construction for some time. But there is no doubt that in the near future global hotel fashion brands will appear:

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In the meantime, we can only guess who this stadium is intended for in this sparsely populated place?

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It is unlikely that this “village” will have a football team:

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Tourists in rented cars with tents camped for the night right under the rock:

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And traces of rubber on the asphalt were most likely left after the “rides” local residents. Well, the Arabs love, they love speed!.. One day we witnessed how two young Arabs were driving their brand new Lexuses around sandy beach on the ocean; there was so much delight in their eyes!

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It is difficult for plants to survive in hot mountains in hot climates. But we came across a whole planting of such trees, which, according to the guide, are the very “gaf” trees to which the UAE President Sheikh Al Nahyan personally proclaimed “national protection” and his own patronage as the green friends of people:

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The gaf tree is very prickly, but its shadow is impeccable - continuous:

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I’m not sure that the green shoots will flourish in the same way in the hot summer. But we managed to catch the flowering time of these mountain plants:

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Now imagine that just recently, life was seething in thousands and thousands of gorges of these mountains. The mountain valleys were (and still are) divided by tribes. Seasonal villages in the mountains were usually located near wadis. Seasonal because in the summer the inhabitants went to the sea, were engaged in fishing and searching for pearls, and also in pirate robbery of merchant ships - since the hot mountains were unsuitable for life in the summer heat. But in winter, when there was more moisture in the mountains, the clans “migrated” to the mountains, where in some places it was possible to feed small herds of goats and grow plantings of date palms. And in general, to hide from enemies, of which, presumably, the robber pirates had many.

Houses made of wild stone in mountain valleys have survived to this day, and if the home is not locked, this does not mean that it is ownerless. As a rule, there is always an owner (heir) of this specific property; he remembers about the house in the mountains and visits it regularly. These “shepherd’s” houses are small because their size depended on the size of the roof. The roof was covered with palm leaves; There were enough leaves for that, and the house was that big. It served not only as a shelter, but also as a help for all kinds of intimate matters: conceiving a child, giving birth here, caring for him in the first days of his birth, etc. The rest of the family settled in the area around the house - the limited living space was not enough for everyone...

Today, the citizens of these places have a place to conceive children, and there are no enemies from whom to hide in the mountains. And the mountains were empty...

But it seems - not for long. Five-star health resorts are already being built in the ascetic, but still beautiful Khajar Mountains. Two are already in operation: in one in the highlands people with respiratory problems are undergoing treatment; in the other, in complete privacy, there are patients with skin problems.

Once in the UAE, try to carve out at least a day for a trip to Hajar – a stronghold of spare, discreet beauty. A civilization that has not yet been taken into the “frame” by man.

They are found in the northern and eastern regions of the state. Every traveler can conquer these peaks, because the climb can be made at any time of the year. A modern road is laid along the rocks here, covered with asphalt and meeting all international standards.

The most high mountain in the UAE

On the border and the state of Oman among sandy sands desert rises rocky mountain Jebel Hafeet. Its peak is located at an altitude of 1249 m above sea level. They have equipped a special observation deck, parking lot and small restaurant. In clear weather, it offers stunning views of locality and its surroundings, which are simply breathtaking.

You can get here along a modern wide highway, made in the form of a winding serpentine. Every year in January, sports competitions among cyclists are held on this route, which attracts participants from all over the world. globe. Due to its picturesque flora and unique fauna, Mount Jebel Hafeet in the UAE has been listed World Heritage UNESCO as a candidate for the list natural wonders peace.

While visiting the attraction, tourists will be able to see the following objects:

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Palace- This official residence crown prince of the emirate.
Mercure– a fashionable SPA hotel, which is rated 5 stars. It has a luxurious restaurant, private parking and an amazing observation deck.
is a green oasis, which is located at the foot of the mountain and represents tourist centre with healing and indoor pools. Here you can play mini golf, have fun on water slides, and also ride the famous Arabian horses. Various competitions are often held among experienced riders.
Caves- these are winding tunnels in the mountains where bats, snakes, foxes and various insects live.
Historical Museum – exhibits obtained by archaeologists during excavations are stored here. In the institution you can see women's jewelry, pottery, tools, etc. Historians suggest that these objects are more than 5,000 years old. This date is confirmed by burial mounds discovered at the foot of the cliff.

Khajar ridge

Between Oman and the Emirate of Dubai, parallel to the coast of the Indian Ocean, stretches the ridge of the Hajar Mountains, which are also called Jibal Al Hajjar. The name of the rock is translated as “Rocky” because it is made of basalt rocks. The highest point is called Jabal Shams, it rises at an altitude of 900 m above sea level.

Streams of water running down the mountain slopes form turbulent rivers and picturesque canyons. Liquid accumulates here, resulting in the formation of small reservoirs, which are bordered by reed thickets. Travelers often observe a variety of landscapes: beautiful desert valleys give way to oases with palm groves.

Rivers in Jabal al-Hajjar often dry up and form dry riverbeds called wadis. These are winding lines in the mountains, along which extreme sports enthusiasts enjoy driving in all-wheel drive jeeps. Tourists are also attracted by the crystal clear air and lush vegetation, but walking for a long time on the hot sun rocks is quite difficult.

There are many secluded picnic spots in the mountains, but these are restricted to families. For this purpose, special signs were even installed on the roads, so noisy companies or couples in love will not come here. Foreigners also need to follow this rule.

The best place to view the area is considered. This is a mountain village located on the border with Oman at an altitude of 300 m. There are public catering places and small places where you can spend the night.

What other mountains are there in the UAE?

There are two more mountain ranges in the country. They are also located on the border with Oman. Their highest points belong to the neighboring state, but also from outside United Arab Emirates tourists will have something to see. These rocks are:

Where to go in a sandstorm? That's right, to the mountains. That's what we did. Visibility on the highway was 10 meters, everything was covered in sand. We drove to the lookout that Sanya spotted on the map.
I have seen many mountains, but there will never be enough of them. Every mountain range special and unlike others. The line that better than the mountains, I won’t quote her, everyone already knows her too well. The Khajar mountains surprised us with their unusualness. By the way, the translation of the name is banal, just Stone Mountains.
On the way we stopped to look at the camels. There is a fence along the side of the road to prevent camels from going out onto the road (for a downed camel there is a huge fine, about 600 thousand in rubles), and to prevent people from driving into the desert (it’s too easy to perish there).

A harsh selfie, the wind blowing hot sand into your face.

The landscapes are just complete decay. How are camels not bored here?

Many camels have ropes on their legs to prevent them from climbing over the fence. Taking care of one-humped people, in general.

They are cute and curious.

We drove to the lookout according to the map; as soon as we turned off the highway, a hellish country road began, on which we almost broke the bottom of our non-SUV. But suddenly the already only road was blocked by closed gates. Not far from them there were Pakistanis picnicking who SUDDENLY spoke English. They explained that the observation point was just being built (by them), travel there was prohibited, so we were dragging it, and so was the passage. But we are Russian, so we decided to walk. They parked the car a little further away and walked around the gate at the bottom of the road.

Around the bend we climbed back onto the road and walked along it. Judging by the map, we had to walk no more than a kilometer.

So beautiful.

By the way, it was not possible to find out the name of the peak. We found only its height (and on a paper map, not on the Internet) - 1043 meters.

We rise a little, still joyful.

Someday they will make a normal road here and put up fences.

But for now, the lookout somehow doesn’t appear around the bend.

Do you know what the problem is?

We forgot to take water. We thought that we would get there quickly.

Photo jerks.

But the observation room still doesn't appear.

But we will be the first to visit there. Except for the workers. We were visiting the exam room before it became mainstream!

We stomped and stomped... We got tired of it.

One kilometer turned into five, because the road zigzags.

Turn, and there...

Next is the road, that's what it is!

But we can't help but get there.

Well, at least there's no storm here.

But there is fog. Or are there clouds already?

I'm desperately thirsty. Let's rest.

While we walked, we remembered what we saw on the map. There should be artificially planted palm trees at the top (only a place with greenery is considered cool), which means, possibly, water for watering them.
One more turn and here...

I'll go first. I see tanks with process water. I come closer and notice a bottle nearby, I pick it up, and it’s sealed. It contains water from the store, clean and tasty. Dima, who was following, said that from the outside it looked strange: I was going to the tanks with a poker face, and it was unclear where I was taking a bottle and drinking. As if it were some kind of quest: climb 1043 meters above the ground and somewhere and there you will find a bottle of drink! :)
Someday it will be beautiful here, but for now only desperate, stubborn Russians come here.

Meanwhile, it is already getting dark.

The views are gorgeous. I have never seen such mountains before.

At the very top there is a mast, once there was something there (possibly a flag-staff, the Arabs love to hang flags).

The boys were upset that they didn’t hang up their flag, then at the hotel they discussed that they should have at least worn a sock at the match :)

Below on the left you can see the observation deck.

Everything is hazy.

The wind at the top almost blew me away.

We descend in the dark.

The sunset turns the already slightly reddish mountains crimson.

The famous Canyon of the Hadjar Mountains is very popular among guests of the country. Due to the inaccessibility of many places in the area, most of the plateau has remained virgin. While walking around the canyon, tourists can easily meet stone pyramids various sizes. This is a memory of ancient settlements. It was the Hajar Mountains that became the natural border between the UAE and Oman.

History and architecture

Ras Al Khaimah is considered the northernmost emirate in the UAE. Of the six existing emirates, Ras Al Khaimah is the most fertile and richest in geographical diversity. This area contains desert, incredible coastline Persian Gulf, agricultural fields and unrivaled mountains. The canyon of the Hadjar Mountains looks like a large oasis, which lies among the Arabian sands. The canyon is located at an altitude of one kilometer above sea level. This place serves as a source of stone for the world famous Dubai skyscrapers. But this is not the main value of the canyon - it is known throughout the world for its natural beauty. It is also called Grand Canyon, but this does not mean that it is a parody of the American Grand Canyon - its size and grandeur are no less striking. This place, famous for its beauty, has long been featured on postcards and photographs, which have become business cards states. It offers truly unique views and picturesque landscapes. Walking is irresistible, but mountain biking is more popular here. Rental of all related equipment is provided here. Tourists come here not only to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the local mountains, but also to spend active rest. To a greater extent these include: rock climbing, mountaineering, trekking and mountain biking excursions.

Neighborhood

In the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, you can choose an excursion program to suit every taste. For example, according to city monuments, for the other six emirates, as well as for nature reserves. Most of excursion programs begins in the area where the clock tower is located, which marks the territorial beginning of the valley. This point was chosen for a reason. It is from here that paths of varying complexity begin along majestic mountains Hajar. Excursions take place by bus, car, bicycle and even motorcycle.

Note to tourists

You can also get to the Grand Canyon from east coast Dibba, Massafi Highway. This attraction may be considered a solitary attraction in the desert, but near the canyon there are many small desert villages and wadis (a traditional Arabic term generally referring to a valley). Canyon of the Hadjar Mountains perfect place for those who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of megacities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai or see the UAE from a different side. Tourists who vacation in other emirates can freely purchase an excursion to Grand Canyon at your hotel. This excursion will allow you to visit six emirates of the UAE in one day. On the way back, a stop is offered on the shores of the Indian Ocean, where you can sunbathe and swim. Be sure to bring swimsuits and towels. This excursion begins at 09:00 in the morning and ends closer to 18:00 in the evening. Estimated cost: $70.

For those who have visited the UAE, it is useful to visit the mountains. You don’t even need to make a lot of effort to travel to the Khajar Mountains. Just two hours and you're in the mountains! 115 kilometers from Dubai, in the center of Khajar mountain range and, at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, Hatta is located. The geological age of the Al-Hajar mountain range is estimated at 200 million years. The formation of the mountains was caused by the processes of eruptions of underwater volcanoes. The Black Mountains of Al-Hajjar are a single illustration on the planet of pyroclastic material washed up from the ocean floor, from which, in essence, the mountains are made.

A trip to the mountains along the E44 highway is stunning with the unexpected change of sand dunes to multi-colored rocks on the sides of the road. Hatta rewards brave and curious tourists with a mild climate and introduces them to the historical past of the Emirates: the village arose more than two centuries ago. 200 years.

Of course, you need to stay at the Hatta Fort Hotel, there is simply nothing else here.

The hotel rooms will appeal to everyone; these are cozy, welcoming chalets with private terraces from which you can admire the mountains. The rooms are equipped with a bath and a cabin with shower. The decoration of the room is ceilings with wooden beams.

Everything at Jeema restaurant is delicious! The assortment of international dishes is so large, you even get lost on what to eat?! Live music you can listen.Overlooking the pool, Gazebo Café serves light meals throughout the

all day.

And the pool is such a pleasure.

In the center of the village of Hatty is the oldest, built in 1780. Juma mosque and ancient fort.