Hatta mountain resort. Historical values ​​of Hatta

Hatta Damm Hatta Damm – Dubai 56,1133535 24,7846879 https://www..jpg

September 10th, 2018 , 10:50 pm

Living in a dusty metropolis, every time you try to escape somewhere where there will be more fresh air and fewer people. It was decided to make the next “escape” to Hatta. Small village, located 115 km from Dubai and surrounded by the Khojar Mountains. Although the village of Hatta is surrounded by the emirates of Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, it is part of the emirate of Dubai.

A trip to Hatta can be combined with a visit to Oman, as the border is only a few minutes' drive away. In our case, we did not have enough time. We left Dubai at 8:30 am and were home around 6 pm.
The road to Hatta is quite simple; Google maps shows the route via the E102 highway, which bypasses Oman. There are signs everywhere, except for one thing.
IN this moment They are building a new interchange at the transition from the E611 to the E102. The maps suggest exit 70, but it is no longer there. New exit 71. We didn't believe the new sign and missed it. As a result, we had to look for a long time to find a break, since the nearest u-turn was also blocked.

Since our trip fell in the middle of the week, we simply enjoyed the empty roads. There is one bad thing - a huge number of radars along the way.
At some point, we forgot about GPS and missed the turn we needed in front of Hatta, which allowed us to drive for 20 km at a speed limit of 60 km/h on a narrow road between the mountains. It was great! Empty road and mountains, another world!

Our first destination was the Dam and Kayak Lake. The only company that operates on the lake is Hatta Kayak. WITH current prices and operating hours can be found on their website.

Access to the lake (and access to kayaks) lies through the dam. Quite a steep drive up the dam, and only a few parking spaces. It should be taken into account that if it is crowded, it is unlikely that you will be able to park at the top. You can park your car at the foot of the dam.

And here is the Dam itself.

The lake near the dam, and the dam itself, did not seem particularly huge and nothing special. But, after Dubai, you find yourself in complete silence! There are fish swimming in the lake, a lot of ducks, and birdsong can be heard. Goats are jumping across the mountains. And not a single soul, we were the only ones on the lake.

We spent almost an hour and a half floating around the lake. It was quite hot (September after all), so I advise you not to forget sunscreen, water and something for your head. There are also no toilets and no place to change clothes. Well, you can’t swim in the lake, just like you can’t feed the ducks. Video from the phone for clarity.

You should definitely go up to the watchtower and admire Hatta from above.

The last destination was a park on the mountain, which is called Hill Park.

Admission to the park is free. There is a swimming pool on its territory, but it is only for men. There are gazebos with barbecue areas.

At the top of the park there is a watchtower, which offers a simply magnificent view of the whole of Hatta.

Boiled from the heat, but happy, we headed home. The road back was faster and still just as beautiful from the surrounding mountains.

People go to Hatta to admire the unusual landscape of the “colored” mountains and look at the wadis - drying up beds of mountain streams. The excursion takes 4 hours. You can go there in the morning (around eight o'clock in the morning) and in the afternoon (in this case you will return after sunset). For lovers of photography and videography, it is better to go on a trip in the afternoon (“soft” evening light and “long” shadows).

Hatta is located 105 km from Dubai - just over an hour's drive. As soon as you leave Dubai, you find yourself in a completely different world - a sandy desert approaches a wide modern highway. Often the wind, like drifting snow, sweeps sand across the asphalt. You can see camels behind the road fence.

To the left of the road there is a 100 m high dune, the so-called Big Red sand dune. You can climb it on foot (at a calm pace it will take about 20 minutes) or by jeep. From the top of the dune there is a beautiful view of the surrounding desert, especially in the hour before sunset. This dune is also used by fans of sandboarding for a dizzying but safe descent.

Along the way you will come across villages. Two-three-story houses are settlements built by the Dubai government specifically for Bedouins in order to create comfortable conditions for them to live a settled life.

Gradually the landscape changes. You are entering the foothills. Part of the road (about 20 km) passes through the territory of Oman - this is one of the enclaves of the Sultanate of Oman in the UAE. During excursions, you will have to cross the invisible border between the emirates and the border more than once neighboring country— Oman. At the end of this section of the path you will see a view of a black basalt massif - this Stone Mountains. They are of volcanic origin and arose in the place where the ocean floor was in prehistoric times.

The age of the Stone Mountains is 200 million years. The Stone Mountains are the only place in the world where such a geological formation is not covered with vegetation, which attracts researchers here. The most high peaks reach 2000 m, but they are already located on the territory of Oman (therefore they have another purely local name - “Oman Mountains”). In the Hatta region, the mountains reach 600-800 m in height. Of particular interest are “layered” mountains - massifs composed of rocks of different colors. This unique geological phenomenon is best observed in the afternoon, when long shadows appear.

On the way to Hatta, it is worth making a stop at the pass - there is a market for carpets and local ceramic crafts. However, do not delude yourself about the low cost of carpets: they are mostly synthetic, although sellers (Afghans and Pakistanis) will assure you otherwise.

As for unfired ceramics - clay jugs, candlesticks and incense burners - their cost here is lower than in the markets in Dubai itself. For example, an incense burner will cost you 3 dirhams. If you are not in the mood to bargain, then for 5 dirhams they will give you two at once. The most expensive jug costs 40 dirhams.

On the road to Hatta you will come across round stone or adobe towers on the tops of the cliffs. These are ancient fortifications that the highlanders, who were part of nine local clans (“families”), erected jointly to protect against raids by robbers. The towers served not only for defense, but also to warn of danger: they informed each other about the approach of the enemy using a system of mirrors. At night, fires were lit. These structures also served as “customs” control points. Merchants transporting goods through the mountains were forced to pay a tax for passage through the territory occupied by one or another “family.” In turn, local residents ensured the safety of the goods and the traders themselves.

The settlement of Hatta is an oasis in the foothills. It is located at an altitude of only 300 m above sea level. The settlement is over 200 years old. The main attraction is the old fort. The Juma Mosque (built in 1780) is also preserved here.

You can stay at a hotel here "Hatta Fort"("Hatta hotel"). 54 rooms in chalet style. Families most often come here on weekends for walks in the mountains, swimming in the pool and playing golf (9 holes), +971-4-852-32-11.

It's always a little cooler in Hatta than on the coast. The humidity is also much lower than on the Gulf coast. The indigenous people of the emirate come here all year round, but walks to Hatta are especially popular in the summer - it’s good to swim in cool rivers or in mountain lakes surrounded by reed thickets and palm trees. One of the exciting activities in Dubai is the so-called “wadi bashing” (“wadi bashing” comes from the English word “splash on a wadi”) - driving through a wadi in a jeep or forcing shallow water streams that appear after winter rains.

Stone Mountains in Hatta

Wadis in the Hajar Mountains appeared as a result of stormy rain streams coming down from the mountains, which formed very deep and extremely picturesque canyons of bizarre shape. But traveling through the wada can be quite dangerous. Wide, stone-filled and dry river beds quickly turn into raging torrents, sweeping away everything in their path, which usually happens in the winter months after heavy rains in the mountains. Streams wash out roads and easily overturn and carry away stuck cars, so driving through the wadi alone, without an experienced guide, especially during the rainy season (November-December), is not recommended.

There are two travel routes from the Hatta oasis to the wadi - a long one (about 100 km) and a short one - 20 km. You can take a short route in a regular car, without special preparation; To travel along a “long” route, you will need an SUV and an experienced driver.

A short route leads to Wadi Khamis and mountain lakes - natural pools (Hatta Pools), located in a picturesque canyon 20 km from Hatta. As soon as you leave the oasis, you will see on the left the Historical and Ethnographic Village of Hatta - a reconstructed complex of rustic adobe buildings and thatched “barasti”, characteristic of an oasis in the highlands. In the center of the village there is a fort with wooden gates decorated with carvings. If you walk through the entire territory of this museum, you will see from the hill great view to the 200-year-old Juma Mosque surrounded by palm trees and the picturesque surroundings.

Opposite the Historical and Ethnographic Village of Hatta, an ancient fort rises on a hill.

At the intersection you need to turn and, having passed the village, turn right onto a dirt road. To your left there will be unusual “layered” hills covered with sparse vegetation. The road will lead you to Wadi Khamis - in the dry season you can easily cross this stream and climb the slope behind which there are “pools” - a mountain stream has made its way into the rock. The depth of these natural lakes is 5-7 m. Their water remains cool even in the summer heat.

Then the long route begins. It is interesting in the “Dubai hinterland” - sparsely populated oases and wadis, fantastic mountain landscapes, and, most importantly, you will be the only tourists for several tens of square kilometers in this “lost world”.

Just 130 kilometers southeast of Dubai lies a completely different world. Instead of dazzling glass facades of skyscrapers, you will see the jagged peaks of the Hajar Mountains, rushing mountain streams and green valleys. Thanks to the fertile soil, mild climate and falaj irrigation system, agriculture and livestock farming flourish here.

From time immemorial, local residents have been cultivating date palms. This unpretentious tree gave people everything they needed to survive in the harsh desert conditions. Dates were used for food and for sale. Mats and carpets were woven from palm leaves, fans were made, and the trunks were used to build tents and houses.

Agriculture remains the main occupation in Hatta today. More than 550 farms cultivate approximately 140 square kilometers of land, accounting for 10% of the region's total area. On farms and in villages you can still find the old way of life, and signs of a new era are visible in the emerging wildlife reserves.

Water wonders

In the past, water in the local area was worth its weight in gold. Locals They extracted life-giving moisture from deep wells and springs. But after the construction of numerous dams, the wadis (mountain valleys) were turned into reservoirs, providing Hatta with water all year round. In winter, these reservoirs recharge the rains, revitalizing the flora and fauna of the valleys.

The main dam was built in 1998 on the orders of the late Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Within two years, the reservoir filled with water, making life easier for the residents of Hatta, who finally had long-awaited access to a constant water supply.

The Hatta Dam has become one of the main local attractions. Against the background of the turquoise surface of the reservoir and bare sandstone rocks, beautiful pictures. You can take a car tour along the dam and stop at observation platforms to admire the views, or go hiking on the surrounding mountain trails.

Thanks to the mountains surrounding Hatta on all sides, the climate here is cooler than on the coast. The Hajar Mountains, whose height reaches 800-1600 meters, were formed millions of years ago on the seabed. Rising from the depths of the sea, they fascinate us with their bizarre shapes and fractures.

Country life

The heart of the city is the cultural and ethnographic village of Hatta, which opened on the initiative of the Dubai authorities in 2001, in which the village life of centuries that have sunk into oblivion is recreated. Visitors will see here traditional dwellings, scenes from the life of Bedouins and household items, original documents, and will also be able to buy folk crafts.

On the territory of the village is the residence of the former ruler - Bait Al Wali. The house consists of several rooms, a courtyard and a tented living room. The house contains an exhibition of national costumes, jewelry, weapons, dishes and kitchen utensils, which were made from clay, leather and copper. All these items were found in the surrounding mountains. Visitors to the village will also be introduced to local customs and traditions - from weddings and folklore to games and folk songs. This is an ideal place to have fun with the whole family.

Fortresses and citadels

Another attraction that deserves special attention is the Hatta Fortress, one of the border fortresses of the UAE. This fortress not only guarded the borders, but was also one of the centers of public life.

Built in 1896 and restored in 1995, Hatta Fortress is one of the most important historical monuments in the UAE. The fortress was both the home of the Bedouin nobility and an impregnable citadel, as evidenced by the extensive courtyard and 11-meter watch tower. The walls of the fortress are made of mountain stone and adobe bricks, and the roofs are made of palm trunks covered with palm leaves coated with clay.

In the 80s of the 19th century, two watchtowers were erected facing the mountain village. The towers are located 2.5 meters above the level of the fortress and the sentinels climbed up the ropes. The entrance to the towers is closed by small doors, and inside there is a spiral staircase leading to the roof.

In that historical place celebrates all the important dates in the UAE calendar: National Day, Flag Day and Dubai Shopping Festival.

Al Shariya Date Plantation is a short walk from the village. Here you can meditate while walking under the shade of date palms and see the falaj, an ancient irrigation system that uses water from underground springs and springs.

Next to the village is Hatta Hill Park with an area of ​​63,915 sq. m. kilometers, built in 2004. This is a popular spot for picnics and barbecues. There is a tower here, from the height of which there is an excellent view of the Hajar Mountains and the surrounding villages.

What to do in Hatta?

Whether it's cycling, long walks or spending the night in a tent, Hatta is a great destination for lovers of an active lifestyle and romantics who prefer wild nature to urban landscapes, and our list will help them with this.

In heart Hadjar mountains near east coast On the Arabian Peninsula, as if “running” into the territory of neighboring Oman, the resort of Hatta, unique in all of Arabia, is located.

Despite the fact that Hatta belongs to the emirate of Dubai, it is separated from the main territory of the second largest emirate in the country by parts of Oman and the emirate of Ajman. Tourists travel to Hatta in order to see unusual “colored” mountains and wadis - the beds of drying up rivers.

Climate and nature

In Hatta, the climate is slightly milder and cooler than on the coast, but the humidity here is much lower, so in the summer, native Emirates like to come here to breathe in the purest mountain air and swim in cool rivers and lakes surrounded by palm trees and reed thickets.

Approaching Hatta, you can admire the Stone Mountains black in color, which were once the bottom of the ocean and today arouse increased interest among scientists, since they are the only such geological formations in the world that are absolutely not covered with vegetation. In the Hatta area there are also amazing mountains, created by nature from rocks of different colors, for which they received the name “colored” mountains. Greatest impression phenomenal "layered" arrays are produced in the afternoon when the shadows lengthen.

Many tourists go to Hatta to see with their own eyes real wadis, created as a result of the stormy descent of rain streams from the mountains, which formed wonderful picturesque canyons of unimaginable shape.

Today this type of extreme view sports such as wadi bashing (driving in a wadi on off-road vehicles). Due to the constant collapse of rocks, this sport is quite dangerous, especially during the rainy season (November - December and February), when the elements literally destroy everything in its path.

There are two routes from Hatta to the wadi: a short safe one (about 20 km) and a long dangerous one (about 100 km), interesting for its enchanting landscapes and the solitude of the Arabian hinterland. The long route can only be taken in a group on SUVs with experienced drivers.

A short route will take you to the mountains Hatta Rock Lakes and wadi Khamis. The lakes have many dams with clean, cool water and small waterfalls.

Thousands of tourists come to enjoy the amazing freshness of these places all year round, despite the fact that there is absolutely no service on the beaches.

Attractions

On the way to the lakes there is Historical and ethnographic village of Hatta, a kind of museum under open air. After restoration, it is a traditional Arab village with a mosque, a defensive fort and small adobe houses. In the building of the fort there is a military museum telling about the bladed weapons and firearms that were used by the Bedouins who lived in the territory of modern UAE, and about the defensive fortifications of the country. Almost every small house shows visitors a certain side of Arab life:

• “Traditional House” talks about life,
• “House of Folklore” will introduce you to the melodies of ancient Arabia,
• “House of Social Traditions” is dedicated to the wedding ritual, forms of agriculture in the region and the social structure of the Bedouins.

There is also " House of Traditional Crafts», « House of Palm Products" and others.

Not far from the fort stands the oldest mosque in the entire Arabian Peninsula - Juma mosque.

In addition to visiting the exhibition, you can buy great souvenirs in the village. self made, listen to national music, take part in ancient sports competitions.

National festivals are held in Hatta several times a year. As a rule, this happens, for example, on December 2 at national day UAE and during Shopping Festival in Dubai (January).

Entry to the museum and all areas of the village is free on all days.

Nutrition

After a long walk, it is advisable to go to a local restaurant of Arabic cuisine, located in one of the ancient houses. In addition to this establishment, you can dine in Hatta at the Jeema restaurant or the Gazebo cafe, located on the premises of a local hotel.

Guests wishing to stay in the oasis for a few days can stay at the 4-star Hatta Fort Hotel, offering chalet-style rooms and 2-bedroom villas. The hotel has 2 swimming pools, a SPA center, a 3-hole golf driving range, tennis courts, etc. Hotel room rates range from $240 to $780.

Transport

You can get to Hatta by car or bus from Dubai station Deira. Buses depart every hour between 9am and 6pm. The 105 km journey along a modern highway, lightly dusted with orange desert sands, takes just over an hour (an hour and a half by bus).

The distance from the village to the lakes of Hatta is 6 km. To get to the lakes, you will have to take a taxi or get off the bus coming from Dubai at the Hatta pools stop.

There are no customs and road controls on the border with Oman, but UAE insurance does not cover insurance cases committed in this territory.

A trip to Hatta will open up a new side of life in the modern United Arab Emirates, introduce you to natural diversity and allow you to take a break from the noise of big cities.