Al-Sarawat

The Sarawat Mountains ( ar, جِبَالُ ٱلسَّرَوَاتِ, Jibāl as-Sarawāt), also known as the Sarat, is a part of the Hijaz mountains in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a broad sense, it runs parallel to the eastern coast of the Red Sea, and thus encompasses the mountains of Fifa', 'Asir and Taif (which can be seen as including the Midian Mountains). In a narrow sense, the Sarawat start in Taif city in Saudi Arabia, and extend to the Gulf of Aden in the south, running along the entire western coast of Yemen, in what used to be North Yemen, and extend eastwards into part of what used to be South Yemen, thus running parallel to the Gulf of Aden.

Geology

These mountains are mainly rocky though some 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. 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 , but the descents and views from the mountains are staggering; some foots of mountains are only at above sea level yet their peaks are at . All of the mountains over are located in Yemen, the highest of which is Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb near the capital Sana'a. At , Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb is also the highest peak in Arabia.

Geologically, the Sarawat is 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 Arabian leopard was reported here. Hamadryas baboons are present in both Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Gallery

File:منتزة القادسية - panoramio.jpg, Mountains to the west of southern Sana'a, Yemen. Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb is behind the mountain in the background.
File:جبل نقم - panoramio.jpg, Jabal Nuqm or Jabal Nuqum in the area of Sana'a. Local legend has it that after the death of Noah, his son Shem built the city at the base of this mountain.
File:Al Sawda peak.jpg, Jabal Sawdah in Saudi Arabia
File:Ta'if Mountains 2011.jpg, Mountains of Ta'if
File:ISS-36 Nighttime view of southwestern Saudi Arabia.jpg, ISS-36 Night-time view of southwestern Saudi Arabia

See also

* Hajhir Mountains
* South Arabia
** Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna
* Tihamah

References

{{Mountains in the Arabian Peninsula

Mountain ranges of Saudi Arabia
Mountain ranges of mainland Yemen
Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna