Jubbah, Saudi Arabia Explained

Official Name:Jubbah
Native Name:جبة
Pushpin Map:Saudi Arabia
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Jubbah within Saudi Arabia
Coordinates:28.02°N 40.94°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Saudi Arabia
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Ha'il Province
Population Total:5,622
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:AST
Utc Offset:+3
Timezone Dst:AST
Utc Offset Dst:+3

Jubbah (Arabic: جبة) or Jubbat Ha'il (Arabic: جبة حائل, Jubbah of Ha'il) is a city in Ha'il Region, Saudi Arabia, north-west of the city of Ha'il. The city lies on the old caravan road between Najd and the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Although completely surrounded by the vast Nefud Desert, Jubbah is known for its abundant agriculture and plentiful water and has a population of 5,622.[1] [2]

Jubbah lies on an ancient lake bed (paleolake) that measures at least 20 km by 4 km with its full extent concealed beneath wind-swept sand on its northern, southern and eastern boundaries. The exposed part of the paleolake lies downwind of the mountain of Jebel Umm Sanman to the west, which has diverted the westerly flow of sand around it, leaving a sand-free depression that filled with water during past humid periods. Several archaeological sites of human settlement from the Middle Paleolithic period were found around the margin of the paleolake. Stone artifacts found at these sites are pertinent to ongoing debates about the timing,nature and routes of Late Pleistocene human migrations.[3]

Jubbah is surrounded by large sandstone outcrops that are filled with ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock face. Especially at Jebel Umm Sanman, which is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site[4] along with other locations of Rock Art in the Ha'il Region. Some of these rock carvings show men wearing headgear, birds, monkeys, gazelles, and two animals pulling a wheeled cart.[5] thumb|280px|Jubbah, a large tent in the desert serves as guest houseJubbah was visited by Finnish orientalist and explorer Georg August Wallin in 1845. Wallin described spacious mud houses, each house having an attached grove and a water well, where camels were used to pull the water. The town had 170 houses, all of them from Al Ramal clan of the Shammar tribe. They looked pale and skinny, and lived a similar life to Bedouins, although they were settled in permanent houses. The town was frequented by many bedouins especially during the date season (although Wallin thought their dates were not as good as those in Al Jawf and Tayma), but also for its fertile grazing lands.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: بلدية محافظة جبه. momra.gov.sa. 10 September 2017.
  2. Population of Saudi Arabia, census 2022 https://www.citypopulation.de/de/saudiarabia/
  3. Petraglia. Michael D.. Drake. Nicholas. Alsharekh. Abdullah M. Groucutt. Huw. Middle Paleolithic occupation on a Marine Isotope Stage 5 lakeshore in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Quaternary Science Reviews. April 2011. 10 September 2017. en. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.04.006 .
  4. Web site: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia. whc.unesco.org. 10 September 2017. en.
  5. Al Zayed. Manal. جبل "أم سنمان" في جبة حائل.. واجهة تاريخية للأجيال. Al Riyadh newspaper. 11 November 2011. 15845. 10 September 2017. ar.
  6. Al Mutairi. Saud. بلدة (جُبَّة) كما شاهدها المستعرب الفلندي فالين سنة 1845م. Al Riyadh newspaper. 6 January 2013. 16267. 10 September 2017. ar.