From the city of Rafha, northeastern Saudi Arabia (AFP)
There is no better view than the charm of visitors to the city of Rafha in northeastern Saudi Arabia, where a desert stretched in purple colors after wild lavender filled the place.
While one of the visitors described this scene as exceptional, where “the fragrant smells restore the soul.”
Retired teacher Mohammed Al-Mutairi drove his car 550 kilometers from Al-Qassim in central Saudi Arabia to Rafha to enjoy seeing the wild lavender plains.
From the city of Rafha, northeastern Saudi Arabia (AFP)
He sat among the purple flowers growing in the desert with his friends near their four-wheel-drive vehicle and tent, talking about their amazement at seeing such a sight in a country known for its hot weather.
“The soul returns”
He also said, referring to the plains extending over long distances, that the sight and smell of these flowers “restores the soul,” adding, “No one expects that this scene is in Saudi Arabia,” according to “Agence France Presse.”
“Here, energies and determination are recharged in front of these beautiful scenery,” said the man, who wore a traditional red and white shemagh.
Meanwhile, teacher Hazaa Al-Mutairi (56 years old), who also came with his friends from Al-Qassim, saw that “the scene gives a person a new motivation for life.”
From Rafha (AFP)
In turn, businessman Nasser Al-Karaani, who traveled 770 kilometers from Riyadh with his friends to enjoy the unfamiliar scene, considered that “this atmosphere makes him feel psychologically comfortable.” “The scene lasts from 15 to 20 days a year, so we come to enjoy it specially,” he said, as he lit a fire in the wood for heating in front of the tent.
Across the area, visitors pitched their tents and stood cooking food in the fresh air, enjoying the calmness of the place. And the locals prevented the passage of camels in the area so that they would not devour the young flowers.
(AFP)
Heavy rain
As for the reason for the coloration of that area, it is due to heavy rainfall, and wild lavender plants grew in very large numbers in this desert location in the north-east of the Kingdom.
The plains and heights of the city of Rafha, located near the border with Iraq, are adorned with the light purple color of the aromatic wild lavender plant that resembles a spike.
It is noteworthy that various Saudi cities witnessed unprecedented heavy rains this winter, which also caused the growth of green bushes along the road between the cities of Jeddah and Makkah in the west of the country.
