16
Pigeon Towers
215km
2km
Driving MIXED LEVELS OF DESERT DRIVING
Best for PHOTOGRAPHERS AND HERITAGE HUNTERS
Recommended for PAIRING WITH A FARM
Amid the farmlands of Ad Dilam, with desert on the doorstep, this abandoned pigeon dovecote is a photographer’s dream. This captivating route has much more to explore, including a water basin which has enabled populations to live in this region since prehistoric times, as well as the welcoming fruit and vegetable farms which are still active today.
Take care wandering around the water pits at Khafs Dighrah, especially with small children, as there are rather precarious edges.
Red Sand Dunes
Not far from the route, you can explore pristine dunes of deep red. This surreal desert landscape is sure to take your breath away as you admire kilometres of barren, windswept sand. While an excellent spot for dune climbing and photographs, you can also catch an interesting view of abandoned crop fields in the opposite direction.
Pigeon Towers
With its beautiful geometric design, the Ad Dilam dovecote is a rare find in Saudi Arabia. The mud and gypsum construction has 14 conical towers punctuated by hundreds of symmetrical holes. Long abandoned by those who built it, it is a striking sight against the gently sloped hills in the background. Some reports claim the tower complex was built in 1938 to accompany a large farm project that was later abandoned – possibly due to the advent of artificial fertiliser or even a change of plans. The parched earth and seemingly disused centre-pivot irrigation system nearby suggest the site may have run out of water.
While you might still glimpse smaller dovecotes in palm groves and villages outside of cities in Riyadh, none are as impressive as the structure at Ad Dilam. Even though it’s no longer operational, the tower is something to behold up close as you gaze up upwards and imagine hundreds of pigeons taking shelter in their honeycombed roosts. Just be aware that years of disuse has left it in a rather forlorn state.
AL KHARJ ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES
Amid the arid desert environment, the region of Al Kharj was a fertile oasis, and archaeologists have discovered evidence of human habitation there dating back some 100,000 years. Between 2011 and 2013, hundreds of fascinating artefacts were unearthed from sites across the region.
Khafs Dighrah 1, 2 & 3
While the pigeon towers are a highlight of this route, there’s much more to see in Ad Dilam, such as the three curious water pits at Khafs Dighrah – gaping caverns surrounded by defunct pumping infrastructure and the crumbling remains of mud houses. The depth of the reservoir is unknown, but it’s thought to be connected to other giant underground natural aquifers in the Al Kharj region, which were formed by the caving in of limestone and fed by rainfall from the Tuwayq mountains. This was a crucial water source for both the prehistoric populations inhabiting central Saudi Arabia and the later farming communities who used the water to irrigate the surrounding farmland.
LOCAL FARMS & CAMPING
The route offers ample opportunity to taste the fruits of Riyadh’s harvest, with the chance to stop in at farms growing all manner of fruit and vegetables, including organic papaya, melon, moringa, lettuce, kale and cherry tomato. Istenbat Farm is one of many in the area that welcomes visitors to tour its grounds, experience farm life for the day, try their hand at picking produce, or stock up on supplies – something for tomorrow’s breakfast and tonight’s dinner.
If you’re interested in camping overnight, there are some sheltered recesses at the foot of the mountains, or the desert in this area is perfect to escape the crowds and wake to camels being shepherded past in the early morning. Simply choose a place to deflate the tyres and head in.
DRIVING DIRECTION
This route traverses agricultural farmland with a mixture of wide, paved roads which are bordered by dunes and dry, gravelly plains that lead to the Pigeon Towers.
1 Turn left off Highway 5060 and head on the track across a bridge. There, drive around an abandoned compound.
2 Pigeon Towers is straight ahead of you. You can explore this area before heading back to the paved road and turning left.
3 Continue along the paved road to reach the first water pit at Khafs Dighrah 1. Continue on to Khafs Dighrah 2.
4 Come off the paved road onto a track on your left to visit Khafs Dighrah 3.
