Despite of its arid climate and a vast desolate areas covering Saudi Arabia, the country is blessed with natural resources and unique beauty that can’t be seen anywhere in the world — One of these is Jabal Al Qarah Caves
Jabal Al Qarah Caves also hailed as Judas cave is located in a small village called Al Qarah (where the name came from) at the city of Al Hofuf, Al Hasah Province, Saudi Arabia. Al Qarah Caves is approximately 10 kilometer (km) East of Al Hofuf city center, 140 km Southwest of Dammam and 300 km East of Riyadh.
Jabal Al Qarah Caves became one the tourist attraction in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia because of its natural beauty, Unique mushroom-like rock formations, tall and linear cave passages and narrow canyons.
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Jabal Al Qarah is an outlier of Shedgum Plateau. It is characterized by an alternation of small plateaus and near-vertical cliffs.
Like most of other hills around the area, Al Qarah is a flat-topped hill of around 75 meters (246 ft) high with a maximum elevation of 225 m above sea level.
Al Qarah cave system has 28 linear passageways totaling of about 1.5 km in length, with an approximate 28,512 square meter land area.
Al Qarah cave interior is characterized by varying colors from white to light grey, massive, calcareous sandstone inter-bedded with soft, reddish to yellowish brown marl and clay. Analyses revealed that the area has rich limestone deposits, a sedimentary rock formed from the skeletons and shells of marine organisms made of calcium carbonate, that lead to the speculations that the area was the under the sea in a few million years back.
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Likewise, Petrographic data also reveals that the area contains of well-preserved palygorskite type of clay minerals, believed that Al Qarah has been submerged in a mudflat-dominated coastal plain environment.
FEATURES OF Al QARAH CAVES:
LOCATION / HOW TO GET THERE:
Al Qarah cave is accessible by private vehicles or via taxi. It is located in a small village called Al Qarah approximately 10 kilometer (km) East of Al Hofuf City, 140 km Southwest of Dammam (less than 2 hour drive approx.) and 300 km East of Riyadh (Less than 3 hour drive).
For easier navigation going to the area, you may use Google Map and drive via this preset location. Click HERE to view the map.
ENTRANCE FEE:
At the time of this writing entrance fee is only 50 SAR per head. Children are free.
THE NAME JUDAS CAVE
Filipino tourist and bloggers called Jabal Al Qarah Caves as Judas Cave but there is no official reference to where this name came from.
According to stories, this is the place where Judas Escariot, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, hid after he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Stories also suggest that in this area Judas commit suicide and there are rumors that sound of banging silver coins are sometimes heard in the area.
