Saudi Arabia

Al-Ahsa Oasis

WHS Score 2.19
rate
Votes 30 Average 2.43
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Votes for Al-Ahsa Oasis

0.5

  • Roger Ourset
  • Zoë Sheng

1.0

  • CugelVance
  • Stanislaw Warwas
  • Szucs Tamas

1.5

  • Ivan Rucek
  • Svein Elias
  • Zach

2.0

  • Alexander Barabanov
  • Dorejd
  • Luis Filipe Gaspar
  • Randi Thomsen
  • Tarquinio_Superbo
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

2.5

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Martina Rúčková
  • Philipp Peterer
  • Xiquinho Silva

3.0

  • Bill Maurmann
  • Gilles
  • Hanming
  • Jean Lecaillon
  • Rvieira
  • Tamara Ratz
  • Vlad Lesnikov

4.0

  • George Gdanski
  • PabloNorte
  • SHIHE HUANG

4.5

  • Joshuakirbens

5.0

  • Rahelka

Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape, is one of the largest natural agricultural palm oases in the world.

Al-Ahsa has been inhabited since prehistoric times, due to its abundance of water in an otherwise arid region. The water was distributed through a network of canals in the open air. The 12 inscribed locations comprise date palm groves, castles, urban centers, archaeological sites, villages, Jawatha mosque and Al-Asfar Lake.

Community Perspective: the reviewers so far found some of the components still under construction and others not findable at all. Martina declared the mountain Jabal Al-Qarah in the city of Al Hofuf the most interesting stop, while it would be hard to distill anything positive from Zoë’s contribution.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Al-Ahsa Oasis, an evolving Cultural Landscape (ID: 1563)
Country
Saudi Arabia
Status
Inscribed 2018 Site history
History of Al-Ahsa Oasis
2015: Revision
includes former TWHS Ibrahim Palace (Hufuf) and Sahud Palace (Al-Mabraz) both 1988
2018: Advisory Body overruled
From Not to Inscribe to Inscription (amendment prepared by Kuwait and others)
2018: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iii
  • iv
  • v
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • March 6, 2024 arabnews.com — Hilton to operate 3 new resorts in UNESCO World Heritage Site Al-Ahsa

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Cultural Landscape: Continuing
Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
View all (17) .
Connections of Al-Ahsa Oasis
Geography
  • Hot Springs
    "the oasis also boosts warm and hot water springs, which can reach 90 Fahrenheit. Ain Najm is the most important hot water spring in Al-Ahsa, famed for its hot sulphurous water." See

    See www.arabnews.com

History
  • Neolithic age
    The earliest occupation of Al-Ahsa is in the location of the present Al-Hofuf, where remains from pre-ceramic Neolithic culture (before 6000 BCE) have been found. (AB ev)
  • Ottoman Empire
    Qasr Ibrahim in the city center of Al-Hofuf is the main architectural built heritage from the Ottoman period of Al-Hofuf (AB ev)
Ecology
  • Mangroves
    At Al-Asfar Lake (AB ev)
  • Dunes
    The impact of the sand dunes on the oasis of Al-Ahsa has been very important over the last thousand years, and part of the oasis has been covered by an active sand dune field advancing southward, along a 12 km large front (AB ev)
Architecture
World Heritage Process
  • Controversial at inscription
    ICOMOS recommended Not to inscribe ("selection of isolated components that do not add up to the idea of an overall cultural landscape", "largescale modern water management networks, and the modern urban developments since the 1960s, have greatly impacted the property"), which was fully overturned without objections by the WHC (opposition lead by Kuwait)

    See www.worldheritagesite.org

  • Derived from more than one TWHS
    former TWHS Ibrahim Palace (Hufuf) and Sahud Palace (Al-Mabraz) both 1988
  • WHS with enclave
    Components 1 and 2 have 2 modern villages excluded
Religion and Belief
  • Notable mosques
    Jawatha Mosque - the earliest mosque built in east Arabia (wiki)
Human Activity
  • Irrigation and drainage
    The circular urban shape of the villages of Al-Ahsa resulted from an irrigation canal on one side and a drainage canal on the other side circling the village as a result of the developed water management systems in Al-Ahsa (AB ev)
  • Palm Groves
    numerous densely cultivated palm groves (AB ev)
  • Sea Ports
    Al Uquair Port
Constructions
Timeline
  • Built in the 7th century
    Jawatha Mosque ( c. 629 AD) + "Al-Ahsa reached its maximum integration and size during the Islamic period (from 661 to the 10th century CE)." (AB ev)
News
arabnews.com 03/06/2024
Hilton to operate 3 new resorts in…

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 17/01/25.

Cugelvance

Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa Oasis (Inscribed)

Al-Ahsa Oasis by CugelVance

Time of the visit: the 4th of dec.2024

I stayed for three days in Riad in order to get to know SA's capital a bit, and to visit the Al-Ahsa Oasis and the Turaif-quarter (both unesco whs).

I had booked my ticket online for the train from Riad to Hofuf just a few days earlier to make sure that I got one as I had read that that train is often booked out. However,the train was quite empty. I took the one early in the morning.

After my arrival in Al-Ahsa I took an ueber taxi from the railway station first to the Jawatha mosque. As I had read that the mosque is tiny I told my driver to wait for me as I would be back within 5-10 min. I stormed out of the taxi and saw a man leaving the mosque and the door wasn't closed when I was already inside. I took some pics and went out where the aforementioned man looked at me quite puzzled. As I was in a hurry I didnt start a conversation.We headed then to the mountain Jabel Al-Quarah. On the way the taxi driver,a former saudi policeman,gave me all the important infos to know about Hofuf which I wanted to know.I stayed inside and outside the mountain Jabal Al-Quarah for almost 2 h. And like my fellow member Martina I consider the swiss-cheese superrock the most interesting stop of that unseco whs.

The Jabal Al-Quarah is like …

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First published: 21/01/23.

Martina Rúčková

Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa Oasis (Inscribed)

Al-Ahsa Oasis by Martina Rúčková

The Al-Ahsa Oasis is listed on the World Cultural Heritage List as a place that has been inhabited for a long time since the Early Stone Age. This was helped by the presence of water, which was later diverted by local residents to their fields using canals. Wells, forts, mosques and gardens were built in the area and water greatly helped the development of this region. Twelve different locations are included in the listing, which together form the largest oasis in the world, which has over two and a half million palm trees.

The mountain Jabal Al-Qarah in the city of Al Hofuf was probably the most interesting stop for us. On one side a jungle of palm trees, and across the road a nice parking lot, several restaurants and a huge Land of Civilizations sign. It's quite nice to see at least some place ready for tourists - it's been quite a different experience in Saudi so far and everything seems under construction. The mountain itself, which consists of several rock pillars that have created a natural cave, can be accessed through the visitor center, of course after purchasing a ticket. For your entrance fee, you get access to the museum that tells the history of the civilizations living in this place and to the very maze of alleys between the stones. The sidewalks are resurfaced, illuminated, and there are many interesting places for taking photos in the nooks and crannies of the stone pillars. There are said …

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First published: 22/12/18.

Zoë Sheng

Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa Oasis (Inscribed)

Al-Ahsa Oasis by Zoë Sheng

This inscription made me lose faith in the inscription process and although I haven't been following it for a long time, I watched the debate live stream and it basically had ICOMOS strongly disagreeing to include it, saying there isn't anything special being here. Then, using its political buddies it overturned the recommendation to a direct inscription, not even deferring it to next year for a second look or whatnot. This farce just makes you wonder why they spent all the money on the expert going there in the first place because apparently whatever you want to inscribe is going in, and not so much if you are a weak political state. Shame on you. But okay so you got your inscription and you are very proud of it, no judgement from my part yet, let me go and check it out.

After the long drive from Riyadh through trashed highways and a few pit stops to refuel and rest, and you get to the town of Al Ahsaa or actually a whole collection of “Al” towns merged together. There are a whole bunch of sites, some of them I don't even know where they are. I started with the Sahood Fort, mainly because the central highway was closed and this was first on the way. It's a very small block with thick replastered walls and a small entrance that probably says “no entry” because they are doing major renovation...AFTER the inscription?? Well so 5 minutes later I end …

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