Wadi Qor ( ar, وادي قور) is a seasonal watercourse in the
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 Arab ...
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 Ai ...
, 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 t ...
. 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 on ...
runs from the mountain village of
Al Qor, near the
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
exclave of
Hatta, through the villages of
Huwaylat,
Rafaq and
Al Nasla before crossing the
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 ...
i border and fanning out to the
Batinah plain and the
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا� ...
north of the Omani coastal village of Bu Baqarah.
Traditionally a major trade route, the Wadi Qor forms one of the oldest caravan routes from the interior of the Gulf to the Batinah Coast. Its importance as a passage through the Hajar Mountains was eclipsed by the construction of the metalled road from Hatta to the Batinah coast.
Extent
The wadi contains a number of
Umm Al Nar era gravesites and has been a rich source of archaeological finds. Like many of the Hajar Mountain wadis, it is prone to heavy flooding. A number of the communities throughout the wadi are increasingly deserted by young people moving to the UAE's cities, and seasonal occupation of houses is common, for instance during the Eid celebrations, when family members return to the villages. The villages along the Wadi Qor were traditionally settled by members of the
Dahaminah, Washahat and
Bani Kaab tribes,
as well as some Maharzah.
There is an
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 mostl ...
fort in the village of
Rafaq.
An Islamic era fort in the village of
Al Nasla has been restored.
A series of watchtowers dot the sides of the wadi along its course.
Waterways
The Wadi Qor also features a number of ''aflaj daudi'', underground waterways or ''falaj,'' dug to distribute water for irrigation to fields from a mother spring or aquifer. The ''falaj daudi'' is distinguished from the ''falaj ghayli -'' open surface water channels and irrigation systems, or ''aflaj''.
See also
*
List of wadis of the United Arab Emirates
References
{{Arab tribes in the United Arab Emirates
Rivers of the United Arab Emirates
Geography of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah