ALMISKEENAH

…the dark green area in the south, outlines the King Abdullah Park. This occupies a huge tract of the lava hill that has been a favourite place, even since the time of Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam to retreat to from the heat of the actual city of Madinah. Some say that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq had a house here, and Allah Ta’ala knows best.

The fresh wispy breeze is invigorating. And while the establishment of greenery is still in its infancy, Insha’Allah as it matures will provide an even more temperate retreat. It is opened for families only, meaning no single youth, men, supposedly. Security guards sit at the entrance but who is to say if the men and women that enter are related. Signs state that there is to be no sheesha, the water pipe and no smoking.  I am not sure how these concerns are checked. Maybe the ‘Commission’ is secretly deployed to carry out their routine checks for ‘vice’.  

The hours are from eight in the morning till midnight during the week while Thursday and Friday from after Asr until 2am. There is a Masjid within the walled area with ablution blocks scattered far and few between.

Apart from this day trip we also visited during the evening to find it very gloomy with minimal lighting. Not only making it feel somewhat scary but also dangerous given the rugged nature of the landscape. Maybe the maintaining of privacy for the individual families secluded in these confined areas is the reason for the lack of lighting. Volcanic boulders and abrasive rubble dominate the areas between the picnic structures dotted all over the park. The playground features for children are basic and scant in number with a rough scoria surface underneath the equipment. Not what I consider the most conducive for children playing. There are no places to ride bicycles, being the favoured activity in open spaces, or to run freely given the nature of the ground. Most families seem to passively sit in the areas shown. There are small pits within each of these for fires to be lit. I imagine people need to bring their own charcoal which is readily available throughout the city, not only for picnickers, but for households that still cook with this. Unlike outings in the desert where dry wood is obtained from the gnarled trees, there is no such supply in the park.

Adjoining the park is a horse track, but it does not seem to be open as yet. And whether it is for recreational use or for racing is unsure. 
 

Several traditional pigeon houses are incorporated in the design of the mud rendered fence enclosing the entire park, as well as framing the entrance. Pigeons were cavorting around these towers.

Villas line the outside of the fence.

Masjid Quba is seen in the distance from the gentle rise of the park.

The orange area is a continuation of this huge expanse of volcanic tract currently being offered for sale. With the opening of the Aliat al-Madinah complex real estate nearby is booming along with many having to relocate from the inner precincts of this Radiant City to the outskirts.

This is one of the dozens of real estate ‘offices’ that line the recently asphalted surface of this road, with the desolate volcanic land for sale on either side.

Jabal Eyr, corresponding to Babul Jahannam, lies outside the sanctuary of Madinah is in the hazy distance. Several new villas at various stages of construction can vaguely be seen silhouetted near the foot of this mountain.