AL QARAH MOUNTAIN

The astonishing Al Qarah mountain rises out of the palm grove of the Al Ahsa oasis, shaped by the elements and geological events into multiple caves, gutters, canyons and fissures. 28 natural galleries run through the interior of the mountain, the longest being 1.5 kilometers long. They allow you to discover the bowels of a mountain effortlessly. There's no need for helmets, abseiling ropes or Ariadne's thread. The site is absolutely sumptuous, with its rocks polished into so many surprising shapes. It was developed in 2016, with a view to the Al Ahsa oasis being declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. The floors of the main gallery were leveled, lighting was installed and a visitor center was built at the entrance. Access to Al Qarah Mountain is via its eastern side, from the village of Al Qarah. A large parking lot welcomes visitors. The entrance ticket is taken inside the Visitors' Centre, which also includes a number of souvenir stores, a cafeteria and a museum. The entrance ticket entitles the holder to a photo and a print given at the end of the visit. Bring a flashlight to explore some of the galleries, and a pair of sneakers for comfort.

Arabian Hospitality Centre. The tour begins with a welcome in English in a room in the visitor center, either on the first floor or upstairs. A young guide will offer you coffee and dates, while explaining a little about the site and its role throughout history. The eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited 5,000 years ago. It is likely that the Al Qarah caves served as a natural habitat for the first resident tribes. During the Ottoman occupation, the caves were used to store weapons, jewelry, money and food. At the time of the unification of Saudi Arabia, the largest of the caves served as a majlis for the prince of Al Ahsa. Here he held meetings with his men and advisors. The introductory speech is accompanied by a guided tour of Islamic calligraphy. Artists have painted selections from the Koran, interpreting them in their choice of color and composition.

Land of Civilization Museum. On the second floor of the visitor center. Four small rooms provide information on the geological formation of Saudi Arabia and the first civilizations to occupy the country. Comparative ancient scripts, replicas of archaeological artifacts and a Saudi scarf said to have originated with the Chaldeans. Once the tour is over, you leave the building and head for the mountain.

The mountain of Al Qarah. Al qarah means "the continent" in Arabic. It's hard to imagine a time when this large monolithic block emerged from hundreds of kilometers of flat desert. Today, you walk up a canyon that gradually narrows until you feel as if you've been swallowed up by the mountain. What strikes you at first sight, as soon as you enter the mountain, is its coolness. The temperature is naturally maintained between 20 and 24°C all year round. The path is marked out by lighting that highlights the polished shapes of the stone as rainwater falls. On either side of the central walkway, other paths lead to caves of varying sizes. The largest of these has been dubbed the Grotte de l'Aïd. This is where the villagers of Al Qarah used to gather for Eid prayers, which had to be held away from their homes. It was also here that certain meetings requiring discretion were held. The cave is naturally lit by a ray of light that pierces through a crack in the mountain. Today, weddings are still held here. The smaller caves were used to teach young people. They would gather in the cool of the mountain to learn to read and write. Halfway down the main path, a photographer is waiting to take your picture in the most spectacular part. The walls of the fault are spread apart, and the height of the mountain appears in all its splendor. At its highest point, Al Qarah Mountain reaches a height of 210 metres. You can pick up your print at the exit, in the photographer's store, where you can choose between two shots. The result is a lovely souvenir.

There are three different types of cave in the Al Qarah mountain. The first is due to the natural dissolution and abrasion of water-soluble limestone. The second type is due to the collapse of the mountain's upper layers as a result of erosion. The third type is the result of seismic movements that have created vertical faults forming corridors in the mountain. This truly unique and original geological formation is the result of a succession of rocks and sediments with different structures, superimposed like a mille-feuille. The buried base of the mountain is composed of a thin layer of marl topped by 17-metre-thick breccias. The outer base is composed of a tangle of limestone and pink sandstone. Above this lies a thick layer of grey sandstone, some 75 metres thick, with an intercalation of alluvial marl that makes the rock particularly brittle and fragile. The top of the mountain is formed by a two-metre thick layer of limestone.