Asia

From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace, and spirituality that it has fixated and confounded travelers for centuries.

JUBBAH (جبــــة)

The oasis Jubbah lies on the old caravan road linking Dumat Al-Jandal with Ha’il, surrounded by the vast Nefud Desert. Jubbah is surrounded by large sandstone outcrops filled with ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock face. The carvings found on the Jibal Umm Sinman cover...

SAKĀKĀ (سكاكا)

Our last stop today was Sakākā, an oasis in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It lies on an old caravan route from the Mediterranean Sea coast to the central and southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Sakākā lies north of the desert of Al-Nafūd and northeast of the Al-Jawf oasis. Nowadays, it...

DUMAT AL-JANDAL (دومة الجندل)

Finally, we arrived at the ruins of ancient Dumatha, nowadays Dumat al-Jundal, located in North Western Saudi Arabia in the Al Jawf Province. It is the largest and best-known oasis at the northern limit of the great al-Nafud desert. The city has a history dating back to the 10th century...

TABŪK (تبوك)

We stopped in Tabūk, an oasis city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, for several hours. The city is situated amid a grove of date palms. Unfortunately, it was Friday today, so the city was deserted, and nearly everything was closed. Still, we walked from the Turkish fort built in 1694 in the...