Sarawat Mountains

Sarawat Mountains
Arabic: جِـبَـال الـسَّـرَوَات‎; Jibāl as-Sarawāṫ
Jabal Sawda, highest peak in Saudi Arabia
Highest point
Peak Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb
Elevation 3,666 m (12,028 ft)
Geography
Location Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The Sarawat Mountains[1] (Arabic: جِـبَـال الـسَّـرَوَات‎, translit. Jibāl as-Sarawāṫ), also known as the Sarat,[2] is a mountain range running parallel to the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The Sarawat start in southern Saudi Arabia and extend to the Gulf of Aden in the south, running along the entire western coast of Yemen.

These mountains are mainly rocky and some can contain vegetation. Many of the peaks are fairly young and jagged, but some are smoother from weathering.

Nearing the Yemeni border, the Sarawat begin to spread into individual peaks, and the Hejaz turns from a cliff to a gradual ascent up to the Yemeni Plateau. All of the mountains over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) are located in Yemen, the highest of which is Jabal an-Nabi Shu'ayb, which is the highest peak in the Arabian Peninsula. It is 3,666 metres (12,028 feet) high, located near the capital Sana'a. In Yemen, the Sarawat are divided into the western and central highlands, where the western highlands receive plenty of precipitation, more than anywhere else in the peninsula, and the central highlands have the highest mountains in the peninsula. A very dramatic part of the Yemeni Sarawat are the Haraz Mountains, where a few peaks top 3,000 metres (9,800 feet), but the descents and views from the mountains are staggering; some foots of mountains are only at 500 metres (1,600 feet) above sea level yet their peaks are at 2,800–3,300 metres (9,200–10,800 feet).

Geologically, the Sarawat are part of the Arabian Shield, and are made up mostly of volcanic rock. The western slopes end abruptly near the Red Sea coast, while the eastern side of the mountain range slopes downward more gently and is intersected by wadis that support agriculture, especially in the southern reaches of the Sarawat, where the mountains face the monsoons.

Among the cities located within the Sarawat is the Yemeni capital, San'a, located near some of the Sarawat's highest peaks.

Wildlife

The presence of the nimr (Arabic: نِـمْـر‎, leopard) was reported here.[3][4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Library of Congress Country Study: Saudi Arabia", The Library of Congress, archived from the original on 2008-09-23
  2. ↑ Robert D. Burrowes (2010). Historical Dictionary of Yemen. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 5–340. ISBN 0810855283.
  3. ↑ Judas, J.; Paillat, P.; Khoja, A.; Boug, A. (2006). "Status of the Arabian leopard in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 1: 11–19.
  4. ↑ Spalton, J. A. & Al-Hikmani, H. M. (2006). "The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula – Distribution and Subspecies Status" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 1): 4–8.

Coordinates: 18°16′02″N 42°22′05″E / 18.26722°N 42.36806°E / 18.26722; 42.36806

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