Jan 8 - Stay within the city limits today. It looks like I’m going to exceed my maximum free milage on the rental car by about 300 km before turning it in. I was not really expecting that, but I underestimated how large the cities were and how much extra driving was necessary because of the way traffic is routed. It is common that to turn left off a highway, first you have to go straight for 500 meters, do a U-turn, then come back. This is so common that the milage just to get across town is somewhat alarming.
First we stop by A’arif Fort. It was constructed as a defensive structure in the 17th century CE, strategically placed on a hill that overlooks a good portion of the older part of Ha’il. After its defensive function was obsolete, it was used to spot the crescent moon and fire the cannon for commencement of Ramadan.
View of A’arif Fort from the street.
The fort has been renovated, but apparently not finished because the inside of it has been closed for years. I saw that it was still closed in March 2022, so was hoping that by now it would be open. No such luck.
The walls are mud brick plaster, mixed with straw.
The fort has a good view over the city, or at least the older, more photogenic part of it.
We walked through the streets of the city near the fort, where older, more traditional looking architecture can be found. The white saw pattern on the top of the walls, like on the fort, imitate the crowstep design on the Nabataean tombs of Al-’Ula.
This odd sphere, made of concrete with round metal patterned dishes stuck on it was worth a photo.
Al-Rajhi Mosque, the largest in Ha’il. A modern building, only unusual in that it imitates the Turkish style. It was prayer time but we went inside anyway.
Janet and Odette had to go through a different door and to the second floor. There were only six women there, and there was a barrier that didn’t allow anyone to see basically anything. Meanwhile I sat on the ground floor, where hundreds of people were praying. I didn’t take any photos, thinking that Janet would have a much better view for pictures.
I had this idea in my head that around this mosque there would be a nice park or something else interesting to see. Instead, the surroundings were just highways and a huge empty lot, partly under construction.
This was at the center of a roundabout in Ha’il. The coffee pots are fountains. And the object in the center is an incense burner. Ha’il is famous as being the oldest coffee pot producer in KSA.
There are a few hours left in the afternoon, so I take this opportunity to get my hair cut. There is a small place within walking distance of the hotel. The people working there look South Indian. They guy cutting my hair does a great job, and seems so happy that I walked in. “You are working here?” he asks, a question that I seem to get almost every day in KSA. The cut is about $5. As I am leaving, the two people Saudi dress waiting for their turn have a polite ‘after you, no, after YOU’ argument about who is next.
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