Sights around Dumat Al Jandal and Sakaka

Marid Castle

The Al Farhan hotel came with a good buffet breakfast on the top floor.  After a leisurely start, we left at 0945 to the Al Jouf Regional Museum, which was closed, and its adjoining outdoor area which was Marid Castle.

The construction technique at Marid Castle walls comprised of rock bottom with mud on top.  We explored the lower levels but weren’t allowed to go up to the highest point.  The castle is thought to date back to the Nabatean era and resisted an attack by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra in 3AD.

Adjoining the area was Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque constructed between 661-749AD by the Umayyads.

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Rajajil Columns

Around 1100, we left Marid Castle, driving out of town in search of Rajajil Columns.  With road works, we had to take a few detours which were not marked and ended up backtracking a little.

Arriving around 1140, the site was closed.  We walked along the perimeter fence where we could see columns poking out of the ground.  It looked like a big area and my interest wasn’t as deep as E’s.  He went around the entire perimeter while I returned to the car to read up about various sites and also make a phone call home.

Little is known about these columns.  They’re thought to be part of a burial site from about 6000-7000 ago.

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Zaabal Castle

From Rajajil, we drove to Zaabal Castle which looked very impressive from the bottom where we parked the car.  The climb hard wasn’t difficult but locating the walkway was more of a challenge in the early afternoon heat.  The route started some blocks away tucked in a residential area.

Inside, the castle had nothing much.  It was largely an empty site but the walk up offered views of the ruined village homes in the surrounding area.

It was around 1330 when we sat down for lunch at a café under the castle.  The Moroccan staff served us a good shwarma, very nice chips and cake for dessert.

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Ash Shuwayhitiyah

It was around 1515 when we got to Ash Shuwayhitiyah.  This was a disappointing collection of largely abandoned mud houses.  Some were still in use in conjunction with contemporary ones.

We took a slight detour on the way back to the hotel, stopping at Dumat Al Jandal lake.  It was somewhat dried up and was not at all picturesque.  There was considerable development here, perhaps in anticipation of growth and tourism.

We called past Marid Castle once again to see it in the afternoon light, and check on the Al Jouf Regional Museum (closed again), before returning to the hotel around 1700.  The restaurant across the road from the castle looked like an interesting proposition, so we returned at night to dine there in one of their clear plastic hemispheres overlooking the lit-up castle.