Wadi Shie is a seasonal watercourse located in the Eastern
Hajar Mountains
The Hajar Mountains ( ar, جِبَال ٱلْحَجَر, Jibāl al-Ḥajar, ''The Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') in northeastern Oman and also the eastern United Arab Emirates are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian ...
of
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
, in the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
.
The
wadi
Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...
runs from the mountains down to meet the coastal city of
Khor Fakkan
Khor Fakkan ( ar, خَوْر فَكَّان, Khawr Fakkān) is a city and exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fuja ...
on the Gulf of Oman and is dammed above the restored heritage village of Najd Al Miqsar by the
Al Rafisah Dam
Al Rafisah Dam ( ar, سدّ اٱرَّفِيْصَة, Sudd Ar-Rafīṣah) is a dam in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It dams the Wadi Shie, a seasonal waterway in the Hajar Mountains that runs down to the city of Khor Fakkan on the east coast of Sh ...
, a popular tourist spot. Below the dam is the restored hillside heritage village and fort of
Najd Al Miqsar. The fort at Najd Al Miqsar formed part of a connected series of fortifications protecting Khor Fakkan, including the Al Rabi Tower and the Al Adwani Tower.
Wadi Shie is the location of the Wadi Shie Archaeological Site, an important collection of
petroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
that includes
zoomorphs (images of horses and camels) and
anthropomorphs (riders on animal back). A number of geometric patterns includes a depiction of a ship under sail, a pattern similar to others found in
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
as well as in the
Ruus Al Jibal of
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) ( ar, رَأْس ٱلْخَيْمَة, historically Julfar) is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. It is the sixth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain ...
.
The terraced site is located to the southeastern side of the wadi.
The precise age of the petroglyphs is not known, although they (like others found in the UAE and Oman) bear a striking resemblance to dateable artistic embellishments on
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
finds. However, dating is problematic and post-Iron Age dating is also a possibility.
See also
*
List of wadis of the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates does not have any permanent rivers, but does have wadis, a permanently or intermittently dry riverbed. This is a list of wadis in United Arab Emirates arranged by drainage basin.
Persian Gulf
*Dubai Creek is sometimes cal ...
References
{{Reflist
Rivers of the United Arab Emirates
Geography of the United Arab Emirates
History of the United Arab Emirates
History of the Emirate of Sharjah