Wadi Asimah |
|
|
Wadi Asimah is one of the most picturesque wadis in the UAE, no surprise thus, that it is a popular picnic destination for both residents and tourists. They are all attracted by beautiful landscapes, greenery and a charming atmosphere of the wadi. This tour has all to offer as far as scenery goes. In Al Ghail area you will see the desert and the mountains, and once you enter the wadi, the greenery of the palm gardens will welcome you.
When starting from Al Ghail, the route to Wadi Asimah passes through two other wadis, of which one is Wadi Al Fara. When crossing this wadi you will see numerous palm tree gardens, some farms, old cemeteries and remains of old stone houses. It is also a great area for short hiking.
Around half way on the route, the wadi narrows containing a beautiful green oasis; this part is called Wadi Al Mawrid. It is truly a scenic passage with many water pools hidden among palm groves and oleander bushes. Rich vegetation provides shadow, and thus, this part of the wadi is very popular with the local families and Dubai residents who try to escape busy city life. Along the way you will see a falaj system, which was created to provide water for the small palm groves situated in the area.
Due to the presence of water and vegetation, this oasis is home to many birds. Look out for beautiful Indian rollers or green bee-eaters, and listen to parrots and other birds calling each other. A perceptive person may also spot a toad (or tadpoles in the pools) and some reptiles. It is also the best place to see various beautiful dragonflies and butterflies. This part of the route is slightly more challenging as far as the driving goes, but still, you should not have major problems to navigate your way through the rocks and pools. Though, it might be a good idea to inspect the track ahead and check the depth of the water before passing through.
From the oasis the gravel track weaves around for a few kilometres changing into Wadi Asimah. There is not much greenery on the way, but once you start to approach the Asimah village, lush plantations, gardens and orchards on both sides of the road will emerge. Apart from many date palms, you will see some banana, lime or mango trees. The traditional falaj system, which can be seen along the whole road, here can be further investigated. Interesting are also remains of old water dwells, build originally from stone, some having a depth of over 5m. All the farms are fenced, so if you wish to enter, you have to ask the farmer for permission.
VILLAGE OF ASIMAH
When the wadi broadens, you are about to enter the village of Asimah. It is a pleasant, clean and quiet place with surprisingly many modern houses. Its inhabitants are friendly and helpful. Although, the modern village is now a centre of all activities, Wadi Asimah, just like most of the mountain areas in the UAE, has many small stone build villages clustered between the nearby hills. Many of them were abandoned only fifty or so years ago, and their owners now occupy modern homes down the wadi.
The village of Asimah is well known to archaeologists and people interested in the UAE past. In the early 1970s, an archaeologist, Beatrice de Cardi, investigated the area and located several ancient structures, showing that this place was occupied at least four millenniums back. These prehistoric findings included: numerous tombs of different periods, settlements and a strange alignment of stones. Unfortunately, by the time her discoveries were excavated in 1989, many of them were lost to the motorway or covered by modern buildings. The remaining ones can still be found around the village.
Near the main mosque, just when the dirt road changes into the tarmac one, the most remarkable discovery, so called Alignment A, is located. This construction is exceptional, as nothing of a similar nature has ever been found in the UAE. It dates back to 2100-2000BC, the late Umm an-Nar period. Unfortunately, the site, being neglected, is largely damaged and its parts are less evident. After the excavation, the Alignment A was fenced, but now the remains of the fence only serve as a visible marking of the structure. When excavated, the Alignment A consisted of a long platform with parallel lines of flat stones laid one and a half meters apart, for a distance of about 45m. One end of the structure ended with a curious apsidal formation, while the other contained three single burials graves covered by a platform. The alignment had also a central circular stone structure, which was a semi-subterranean tomb, and niches along the northern wall, where probably offerings were displayed. Many bronze objects such as sockated spearheads, a bracelet, daggers, axe, razor and a goblet were found inside, now being showed in the RAK National Museum.
The remains of some other ancient structures can be found in a short distance, less then 100m from the alignment. Walk across a small field from the right corner of the structure having the Etisalat tower on your right. Near the modern houses you should notice two oval stone formations just above the ground; these are the remains of the 2nd millennium BC tombs. If you continue to walk further between the two houses for about 100-150m, you will reach a wall of a building, turn right and shortly after you will see more tombs of this type on the left. Next to these remains, children, probably not realizing the value and the nature of these structures, created a small volleyball field.
|
LOCATION: around 10km from the Masafi town. Drive the route E18 towards RAK Airport, and then towards Masafi. After about 26km from the Airport R/A, you will arrive at the crossroad to the village of Al Ghail (signposted). Take a U-turn, pass the petrol station and immediately turn right. Head towards the mountains and after around 7.5km you should reach the Al Ghail village. Once in the village, you will arrive at Y-junction. The road to the right goes to the Al Ghail dam. You, however, should drive to the left, pass the mosque and once the tarmac road ends, enter the wadi. Around 5km after you entered on the dirt track, the road splits, here you need to take the right path and continue to drive along the main track. You will reach the Asimah village after about 12km. Once in the village, find the tarmac road near the modern mosque, it will take you out of the wadi to Masafi. Then turn right at the crossing and again right at the roundabout. Drive straight and you will soon arrive in the Masafi town. GPS: Alignment A – N25o24’ 13.10” E56o08’ 55.40” Tombs – N25o24’ 14.10“ E56o08’ 59.40“; N25o24’ 13.90“ E56o09’ 04.60“
NOTE: this wadi is sometimes described as a rough one, however recently some improvements were made on the way and no 4WD should have difficulties passing through; however the wadi should be avoided after heavy rains as the flood water can cause some problems and pools may become too deep to drive through.
|
