A Bus Trip to Paradise- Dawmat Al Jandal

Inside tower of the Castle. Too beautiful for words!

If you could picture paradise, what would it look like? What would it feel like? What would it smell like?
I could answer those questions after I met the most peaceful and loving place called Dawmat al Jandal.

I didn't know that about an hour away from my hometown Skakah, there is a place that is so blissful.
We were lucky to have gone on a trip today to really experience some Saudi history.  I almost didn't go since my two room mates called-in sick and Skakah was eaten alive by the blazing sand storm. However, I was still determined to go and do something different than to just sit and think of what to cook next. After all,  I needed to do something that would help me relax after a hectic week at school.

Traditional rugs/mats/bags/wall decoration

Unlike most people, I really enjoy the bus trips, I indulge on the sights of the sand dunes and spotting a camel here and there. We took a sharp right out of Skakah on the way to the airport, but turned into a different road that lead us to something that we didn't even know existed.
As we were driving, our bus driver was being our tour guide and mentioning things about certain building and places. I finally got to see the new project of Al Jouf University being build. It looks spectacular! The front gate was so majestic and looked serious for serious students. Well done for Al Jouf University.

On the far dune-rock "Allahu Akbar" is written in white! Verily Allahu Akbar

We carried on driving for another 30 minutes and finally we saw a big dam. We got out as soon as possible. We couldn't believe that there was so much water in the middle of the desert. It was as if we have never seen so much water in our lives before. Everyone whipped his/her phone or camera out to snap the moment. It was so peaceful there, only water and the rocky dunes hovering over it. The water was making small ripples as if it didn't want to disturb the quietness of it all. The sun had no mercy, it was at its highest point. In Saudi the sun is always at its highest point, blistering anything that comes in its way. I love the sun. I am addicted to it, like an addict addicted to his own choice of drug.

The open dam-I call this picture "peace"

I stood there for a while breathing the air that had not taste or smell, just its own existence that couldn't be denied.
After that we took a ride further and all of a sudden, we moved from dust to absolutely paradise. As soon as we passed a big sand dune rock that had "Allahu Akabar" engraved on it we entered this little paradise on earth.
We saw a small Bedouin haven,  where sheep were freely grazing and the wind blowing the afternoon laundry away. Tall grass weeds were at their greenest as if they were welcoming Spring.
I asked our bus driver as to why it was so green here. He said it was a natural spring that surrounded that area. Natural Spring!!! An Oasis!! I have only dreamed of ancient oasis and small towns living around them.

Soon, we saw a big rock, which was a Copper Rock. Young boys were running up this rock with absolute ease, as if they have done this before.
We drove around the rock and we saw a small village. A beautiful small village at that. The houses were small and often one floored with small gardens outside!! It was unbelievable. There was even a Saudi man with a cigarette in one hand and the hose pipe in his other hand watering his garden. He had no care in the world, but to enjoy the afternoon sun and taking care of his own. Little children were playing and waving at the bus with their outside clothes worn out from their heavy duty of playing. They were happy and that made me think of how much fun kids can have no matter where they are.

This area is naturally green due to natural spring/oasis.

The little town was so welcoming, the palm trees were high up and pregnant with bright red dates busy ripening. The trees looked really good and heavy.

We were all taken back at how different this was from our home. We eventually drove up around and there was a wall full of colourful art and on the right hand side we saw the ancient castle, still in its most dignified state. It was well preserved. We got out of the bus so fast that we all were ready to discover this ancient piece of work. The Caslte is more than 1500 years old. It had an outer tower which I believe that was use for the Athan to call people for prayer or as a  watch tower  to detect the enemies. Inside the Castle there were small rooms that were painted in a vague blue, and some of them were just bare with walls made of mud, reed and water.
Inside the Castle there was another tower which led to the view of the outskirts of the town. We decided to be brave and to climb the stairs all the way to the top. It was pretty steep, but I made it with abaya and all.
At the top of the tower,  I could see the outskirts of the town. It looked like a maze from the top. I assume people lived closer to each other and shared walls. At the far side of the ruins there was a sheep and animal stable, where I assume the community kept their live stock together.  At the very far end the whole area was just surrounded by beautiful palm trees that were like old bones being swayed back and forth by the wind.

I discovered the museum next to the caste. This museum is really precious. It has the oldest pottery, fine art, war -ammunition, coffee grinders and coffee pots. It was written both in Arabic and English, which really helped. It even had beautiful rock paintings of the ancient civilization leaving their footsteps behind for us to find where they came from.

Like most ancient civilizations, rock painting often tell the stories of old battles.

After the museum trip I went to a beautiful old store that had the oldest jewelry.Most jewelry from the ancient Arabias were made of silver. Even the Riyal used to be a big coin, bigger than the current South African 5 Rand coin. It was made of silver and rough to the touch. I saw the old rings and thought to myself, I wonder who's ring am I staring at and admiring. Were one of these rings used for marriage proposals? Were they used for family signatures? I couldn't help myself but to wonder and I eventually bought myself a beautiful silver ring that had a lime coloured stone engraved in it.

Traditional body rest, coffee grinder and home items

Soon Maghreb prayer was taking place and the doors were being closed. I went outside the shop and stood at the open area and looked at the sunset, and realized how beautiful this town was. I went for a small walk to the shops,  hoping to see something that would dazzle my eyes. However, it was not an item that dazzled my eyes or even my thoughts, but it was the people. They were so kind, so relaxed and so at peace. The air was different. Men even sat outside near the street and drinking their afternoon tea and indulging in their conversations. Women and their husbands were freely wondering in the streets and enjoying the afternoon with a walk or a peak at a store. There was no sense of a strange fear or even hostility. It felt really good.

Copper Rock! The colour of this copper is a stone-blue

Soon, we all quickly slipped into a store to buy some water and snacks for our way back to Skakah, and the shop keeper was a Saudi, who was really warm heart-ed and tried his best to understand me and to speak some English. He politely handed my provisions over, unlike in Shaloop street where shop keepers often throw stuff at you!!!!
I couldn't stop myself from thinking of why this town was different. Why were the people so much more calm and relaxed? Even the traffic was peaceful. I thought to myself, it must be the green of the earth. It must be! Or was it just that town's culture? Soon ,I thought to myself, If I could bottle or capture a picture of peace, it would look like this. If I could smell peace, it would smell like this. If I could feel peace, it would feel like this, and if I could taste peace, it would taste like this. This is paradise!

A view from the castle! 

So, if you happen to swing by Al Jawf province, try not to miss this little town, Dawmat. I promise you , you will not be disappointed.

I have added some pictures that I took along the way. If you have any questions about them, please feel free to ask me, I will try my best to give you an accurate answer.