Hijaz mountains
Encyclopedia
The Hijaz or Hejaz range of mountains is located in the Hejaz
region, close to the western coast of Saudi Arabia
. The western coastal escarpment is composed of two mountain ranges, the Hijaz and the Asir, with a gap between them near the middle of the peninsula's coastline. From an elevation of 2100 meters (6000 feet), the range declines towards the vicinity of the gap about 600 meters, The mountain wall drops abruptly on the western side toward the Red Sea, leaving little or no coastal plain. The eastern slopes are not as steep, allowing rare rainfall to help create oases around the springs and wells of the few wadis.
The Hijaz mountain area includes the Cradle of Gold
(Mahd adh Dhahab
), the only known Arabian source for workable quantities of gold. Additionally the Hijaz has been conjectured as the source of the Pishon River
, that was described as one of the four rivers associated with the Garden of Eden
. This is a component in the research of Juris Zarins
that locates the Garden of Eden at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf
near Kuwait
. The extremity and path of the now dried up river course was identified by Farouk El-Baz of Boston University
and named the Kuwait River. This tracks north east across the Saudi desert for 600 miles and follows the contemporary Wadi Al-Batin. The 'Kuwait River' and the Hejaz region is estimated to have dried up 2,500–3000 years ago.
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
region, close to the western coast of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The western coastal escarpment is composed of two mountain ranges, the Hijaz and the Asir, with a gap between them near the middle of the peninsula's coastline. From an elevation of 2100 meters (6000 feet), the range declines towards the vicinity of the gap about 600 meters, The mountain wall drops abruptly on the western side toward the Red Sea, leaving little or no coastal plain. The eastern slopes are not as steep, allowing rare rainfall to help create oases around the springs and wells of the few wadis.
The Hijaz mountain area includes the Cradle of Gold
Mahd adh Dhahab
The Mahd adh Dhahab, also known as the Cradle of Gold, is the leading gold mining area in the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in the Al Madina province of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia....
(Mahd adh Dhahab
Mahd adh Dhahab
The Mahd adh Dhahab, also known as the Cradle of Gold, is the leading gold mining area in the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in the Al Madina province of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia....
), the only known Arabian source for workable quantities of gold. Additionally the Hijaz has been conjectured as the source of the Pishon River
Pishon
The Pishon is one of four rivers mentioned in the Biblical Genesis. In that passage, these rivers are described as arising within the Garden of Eden...
, that was described as one of the four rivers associated with the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. This is a component in the research of Juris Zarins
Juris Zarins
Juris Zarins is an American-Latvian archaeologist and professor at Missouri State University, who specializes in the Middle East....
that locates the Garden of Eden at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
near Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. The extremity and path of the now dried up river course was identified by Farouk El-Baz of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and named the Kuwait River. This tracks north east across the Saudi desert for 600 miles and follows the contemporary Wadi Al-Batin. The 'Kuwait River' and the Hejaz region is estimated to have dried up 2,500–3000 years ago.