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The Hajar Mountains occupy the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula and run parallel to the East Coast going as far as Sur in Oman. The Hajar Mountains can be geologically divided into two main ranges. The north part is called the Ru’us Al Jibal, which literally means ‘the heads of the mountains’ and it is a section that lies within Ras Al Khaimah’s borders.
This range has peaks as high as 2000m, and is made up of carbonate sediments from the Mesozoic Era. These sediments are classified into limestones, dolomites, shales, marls, siltstones, sandstones, cherts and various conglomerates. The south part of the Hajar Mountains is lower, reaching heights of 800-1600m, and is comprised of an unusual mix of igneous rocks not often found on the Earth surfaces.
There are no rivers or other sources of water in the mountains, except after the rainfall. The dried up rivers beds from the past called wadis now form excellent passages through the mountains.
For centuries, the Shihuh tribe inhabited the Hajar Mountains and the remains of their settlements can be seen today. Until relatively recently, the mountains were largely unknown to anyone other than the members of this tribe. |
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