Umm Jirsan cave, located in Harrat Khaybar, north of Madinah, is an important natural landmark, given its moderate weather throughout the year and its unique geological composition, making it a top destination for tourists, explorers, researchers, amateurs and hikers from all over the world.
Geologist Abdul Aziz bin Laboun explained that the Umm Jirsan is a long underground lava tube, tilting from east to west, with multiple openings, inside which many tunnels and narrow and wide grooves can be found, in addition to overhangs of black basalt and calcite.
The cave is about 1,500 meters long, 45 meters wide, with a maximum height of 12 meters, making it the Kingdom’s longest lava tube system. It is surrounded by many craters and volcanic mountains, including Jabal Al-Qadar, Jabal Al-Abyad, Jabal Al-Bayda and Jabal Al-Aqar.
The tube receives torrential water through its openings, and water flows through and collects sand, dust, and clay, and some plants and trees grow inside it, Bin Laboun noted, adding that Umm Jirsan is cold in summer and warm in winter, which is what makes it a top destination for both humans and animals.
He pointed out that traces of ancient humans have been found inside, such as stone tools, writings and drawings on the rocks, in addition to bones, skulls and fossils that were studied using radiocarbon technology, dating back about 7,000 years.
ThePlace: Umm Jirsan, Saudi Arabia’s longest lava cave located in Harrat Khaybar
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ThePlace: Umm Jirsan, Saudi Arabia’s longest lava cave located in Harrat Khaybar
- The cave is about 1,500 meters long, 45 meters wide, with a maximum height of 12 meters, making it the Kingdom’s longest lava tube system
Saudi defense minister receives Mukalla port director, thanks him for heroic role
- Prince Khalid thanked Basamir for his heroic and humanitarian role in ensuring safety and protecting lives and property at the port
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman received the director of the Port of Mukalla Salem Basamir on Tuesday.
In a post on social media platform X, Prince Khalid thanked Basamir for his heroic and humanitarian role in ensuring safety and protecting lives and property at the port.
The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen carried out a limited airstrike in December targeting foreign military support at the Port of Mukalla in the Hadramaut governorate, where calm has been restored after a period of tension.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency following the strikes, coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said two ships coming from the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates entered the Port of Mukalla without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition.
“The crews of the two ships disabled their tracking systems and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern governorates of Yemen (Hadramaut and Al-Mahra) with the aim of fueling the conflict. This is a clear violation of the truce and the pursuit of a peaceful solution, as well as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216,” said the spokesman.
