Hofuf Travel Guide
The town of Hofuf is the centre of the Al-Hasa oasis which is one of the largest in the world. Until about a century ago, most of the dates in Europe came from here and the area remains one of the world’s largest producers of dates.
Hofuf itself contains an old fort and one of the most interesting souqs in the Kingdom. Because of the enormity of the oasis and the number of picturesque villages scattered through it, a leisurely drive through the greenery is an entertaining way to spend the Thursday afternoon. However, the start to the day should be with the camel market which is situated near the airport, best time to get the full atmosphere is before seven.
Next on the list should be the Qasr Ibrahim, a 19th-century fort constructed during the Ottoman Turkish occupation, this is still undergoing renovations, so permission to enter the fort will be impossible. It has a large domed mosque within the walls. The mosque was believed to have been built by the Ibrahim Pasha, the destroyer of Diriyah in the 19th century, meanwhile the fort was itself built in 1551 by the Turkish army. The oldest mosque in Hofuf is the Al Jabri Masjid which built in the 16th century and is still in use.
The traditional souk nearby sell a lot of tradional items and is good for picking up gift items.
The afternoon picnic should be planned on the Jebel Qarra on east side of Hofuf, near the entrance to the caves with a wide and clear views of the palm groves nearby. The caves (known as Ghar Al Hashshab in Arabic – caves of the arrow maker) are wind and rain eroded limestones and during the hot summer, they make a cool refuge. Near the caves is pottery which has some simple unglazed potteries.
There also used be a site for hot springs, where bathing areas were built, but these are now closed. Also a meteriote was supposed to have fallen somewhere near the airport area, this as well we could not find.
One of the great stories of this region is that when the Hajr Al Aswad (Black Stone) was stolen from Makkah by the Qarmathians and kept here in one of the mosques (Masjid Al Jawatha) for nearly 22 years.
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