Jizan City Profile

Introduction

Jizan, or more properly Jazan, was known in ancient times as Almikhlaf Alsulimani.

Jizan area consists of fertile plains, forests and mountains. The fertile plains, which extend behind the coastal swampland, have been created by the alluvial deposits brought down from the mountains by river and flood. The forest region (the Alhazoun district), which is also subject to flooding, consists of forest interspersed with some areas of rich pasture. The mountain region is part of the Al sarawat mountain range which constitutes the jagged backbone of the Arabian Peninsula. The highest peak in Jizan is the Fifa Mountain which rises 11,000 feet.

Jizan is one of the Kingdom's richest agricultural regions, remarkable for both the quality and variety of its agricultural produce. It is notable for its production of coffee beans, grain crops (barley, millet and wheat) and fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, plums and tamarinds).

Geography & Location

West of Abha on the tropical Red Sea coast is the town of Jizan, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Jizan covers an area of 40,000 square kilometers, including some 5,000 villages and cities. Attached to it are 100 islands, including the important island of Farasan. Jizan is the third most important seaport on the Red Sea.

The Jizan region runs along the Red Sea coast for almost 200 miles (300 km) and includes some 100 islands.

Climate

The weather in Jazan is hot in the summer and mild in the winter. The average temperature throughout the year is 25-23 Celsius. The province can be windy during the summer months with winds reaching an average 25 km/h. The average rainfall is 45-100mm per year.

Archaeological Sites

In Gizan, there are tens of archaeological sites of various cultural periods varying from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, and from the early Islamic to the present century, in addition to a variety of petroglyphs, ancient inscriptions mining sites and antiquities of early Islamic period such as mosques, ports, castles and watch towers.

The region's historical cities include: Asir city, Qalaat Abi Arish, Upper Jizan, Jabal Jahfan and Qalaat Alasilki, which was formerly the headquarters of Turkish rulers.

Developments

Located on an ancient caravan route, Jazan city is currently witnessing tremendous economic, educational, cultural and healthcare development. It is famous for its scholars, poets and men of letters and is the headquarters of the Governor, local councils and branches of governmental departments.

There is an interesting traditional souq in Jizan. Jizan is today a developing port.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

The area's tourist landmarks include: Buqaat Al Farar, Buqaat Marouh, Buqaat Heran, Al Meriah and Al Makhafa in addition to the Al Absiyah Fortress antiquities and the agricultural plateaus of Shat Al Sabaya.

A visit to the Jazan region must include the Farasan islands in the Red Sea, which forms an archipelago with nearby pearl-rich islands. These islands are situated in the southeastern part of the Red Sea and to the southwest of Jazan city.  

 

	Gizan Harbor Still building wooden fishing boat (dhows). By ferryboat, within two hours, you can reach the main island of the Farasaan archipelago.
	Faifa Mountains The mountain resort is 70 km from Jizaan. Faifa Mountains is a mountainous area that has many of wonderful places such as the Valley of Qaa, Karthah, Thwayei Mountain, Hakamy Mountain, and al Abseyah. The beautiful addenium obesum, a tree that looks like a bottle of Perrier water and blossoming in April. The Valley of Qaa is always covered in green due to the thickness and diversity of its trees. It is characterized by stone formations and running water for most of the year. Unique waterfalls appear during times of rain. The area is 30 km to the south of the center of Faifa. Karthah is a mountaintop overlooking the valley of Damad and the Faifa area. It is lush with vegetation. Only 1 km south of Faifa it can be reached by an unsealed road. The Thwayei Mountain is one of the mountains of Faifa region. It is characterized by its steepness and gradient that provides beautiful prospects overlooking the Valley of Jarrah and the Faifa region in general. The top of Hakamy Mountain overlooks a group of planted graduated areas and the valley of Jooh. It is 1km to the south of the center of Faifa. Al Abseyah is the highest peak that can be comfortably reached in the Faifa Mountains.
	Farasan Island A group of 84 islands in the Red Sea lying 40 km off the southern coast of Saudi Arabia, the Farasan Islands Reserve is especially rich in seabird life. The uninhabited islands serve as breeding sites for large numbers of birds to which thousands of birds migrate annually from Europe and other parts of the world. The adjacent marine feeding grounds attract varieties or birds such as Osprey, Sooty Falcon, Pink-Backed Pelican, Red-Billed Tropik Bird, White-Eyed Gull, Saunders Little Tern, Crab Plover, Flamingos and others. The reserve also protects the Farasan Islands Gazelle, within what may possibly be the largest population of gazelles left in Saudi Arabia. On the main island there are over 500 gazelles roaming freely. The waters surrounding the islands are equally important for marine life including dugongs, sea turtles and numerous Manta Rays. The Muslim geographers and historian referred to the importance of the Farasan Islands. It was revealed at Wadi Matar is the biggest archaeological site on the islands where large number of circular, rectangular and other buildings were 30 x 15 m long and were probably used for official purposes. There is also rock art site on the island and some foundations of the buildings of the Ottoman period such a big watchtower called Al- Awadi. The antiquities of the Farasan islands vary in date between the first millennium B. C. and the Ottoman period. The ottoman mosque known as Masjid Al-Najedi is decorated with unique patterns and motifs, similarly the house of Al-Refal is highly decorated. All these antiquities highlighted the flourished phase of the Farasan Islands.

 

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