Places In Saudi Arabia You Would Never Imagine Exist

by Alexandra Mansilla

Places In Saudi Arabia You Would Never Imagine Exist

11 Apr 2025

One day, Ibrahim Sarhan opened up an entire world to me — a world of hidden places in Saudi Arabia and untold stories of the people who live there. So, of course, I had to ask him to show me more — and to share more of the stories behind the places he has encountered, photographed, and quite literally helped put on the map of Saudi Arabia.

Together, we selected six fascinating locations that Ibrahim came across, driven by his endless curiosity — places he explored and now shares with you. These sites, whether discovered by Ibrahim or simply documented by him after hearing about them from locals, represent hidden gems of Saudi Arabia. For safety reasons, if you ever decide to visit, please don't go alone. Some of these sites are remote, potentially dangerous, and not designed or equipped for visitors.

Ancient Beehives

I first came across some mobile phone photos taken by locals, but they weren’t taken professionally. That made me curious, so I started researching the location. One of my friends eventually shared the coordinates with me, and I set out to find the place.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

When I got there and took my photos, I believe it was the first time this site had been professionally photographed. And it is truly a strange and fascinating place. What makes it even more mysterious is that there is almost no information about it — nobody knows exactly when it was built or when it was last used.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

But when you walk between these beehive-shaped structures, you feel something special. The atmosphere is quiet, almost sacred, and the architecture — though weathered — still holds a powerful presence. It is one of those places where the lack of answers makes it even more intriguing.

Location: Maisan Village, southeast of Taif city

Volcanoes of Kashab

In Saudi Arabia, we have several volcanic fields, and Kashab is one of the most fascinating. I remember once I was flying between Jeddah and Riyadh, and I looked out of the airplane window — I saw seven volcanoes perfectly aligned in a straight line. It was breathtaking. I took a photo with my phone, but I couldn’t identify the exact location at the time because there was no GPS in the air.

Weeks later, I started going through maps, trying to figure out what I had seen from the plane. I kept searching until I finally located the place on Google Maps. I knew I had to go there.

On my first attempt, I couldn’t reach it. The terrain was just too rough — sharp volcanic rock everywhere, no roads at all. The area was completely inaccessible by car. So I made another plan and came back the following week.

It was extremely difficult to enter that area. I was completely alone, navigating some of the harshest geographical terrain — sharp stones, no paths, just raw nature. I had to hike, walk for hours. Eventually, after a full day, I reached one of the seven volcanoes.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

I climbed up and stepped into one of the craters, standing right at the centre of the volcano. I was completely alone. When I spoke, I could hear the echo of my voice inside the crater. It was such an emotional moment — standing in this powerful place, with no one around for maybe hundreds of kilometres.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

One of the biggest challenges isn’t getting there — it is getting out. I often arrive early, while there is still light, because I want to photograph the volcanoes during the soft, golden light of sunset. It brings out the colours in the best way.

I often tried to find my way back in the dark. And these places are already hard to reach in daylight — imagine trying to leave them at night, with no roads, no paths, no signs of civilisation.

There have been moments when I have completely lost track of where I came in. I move from one spot to another, just exploring freely — and then, suddenly, I can't remember how I got there. There are no markers, so I have to rely on memory, intuition, or just a general sense of direction.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

Another challenge that I faced was the car getting stuck between rocks. There were many times when I had to stop and build a path out of stones underneath the car just to get it moving again. It is a common problem in these remote volcanic areas — the terrain is so rough and uneven.

When I published the photo, it became one of the most popular I have ever shared. I was contacted by people interested in geography, geology, and photography. It even led to the place being officially marked on Google Maps — before that, it was unknown.

This place, once full of fire and energy, is a part of what shaped our planet. Being there gave me this overwhelming mix of feelings — awe, peace, and a real sense of accomplishment for having reached it.

Location: Harrat Kishb, 180 km northeast of Taif city

Rock Art in Alraith

A few years ago, one of the locals showed me a photo on his phone and said, “We have ancient rock art like this — in a cave, about 30 metres long.” I have seen a lot of rock art in Saudi Arabia — all of it thousands of years old — but this one was truly unique. When I saw the image, I could hardly believe it.

He told me that reaching the site would require a serious hike — three days in total: one and a half days to get there and one and a half days to return.

So we decided to go. We packed water and food and started walking.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

We reached the site just before sunset. I managed to take some photos, but the return journey was incredibly tough — we ran out of water. The local guy I was with knew how to find water naturally, collecting it from stones and other sources.

I wasn’t sure if my immune system could handle that. It was during COVID-19, and I was worried that if I got sick, I might not have access to a hospital. I have never felt thirst like I did that day. I tried to resist drinking from the natural sources, even though I was completely dehydrated. That was probably the hardest part of the trip.

We also came across snakes and wild animals along the way and had to walk along sharp, rocky edges. It was physically and mentally exhausting.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

The rock art itself is stunning — painted in colour and preserved inside a cave. It has survived all these years because it is protected — the rain doesn’t reach it, and the sun doesn’t hit it directly. That natural shelter has kept it intact for centuries.

Location: Shagra Maountain, Alraith, Jazan Province

Mysterious stone structures

This is one of the most fascinating aspects of archaeology in Saudi Arabia. Across the country, we have many locations with strange, ancient stone structures. What is interesting is that if you're standing on the ground, you might not see anything unusual — just ordinary stones. But once you fly a drone or look at them on Google Maps, you start to see these very strange, clearly defined shapes.

I have been documenting many of these sites around Saudi Arabia, but this particular one really stood out to me. When you walk through the area, it looks completely unremarkable — just scattered stones. But from above, you see massive circles and geometric patterns.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

When I finally reached the site and prepared to photograph it, I wanted to feel more connected to the place. Some archaeologists believe these formations may have been ancient burial sites — possibly the graves of kings or important figures from thousands of years ago.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

Many people don’t realise what is around them. Some locals have built homes or farms in the area, unknowingly cutting through these ancient structures.

Location: ‏South of Makkah Al Mukarramah Province

The Empty Quarter

The Empty Quarter — or Rub' al Khali — is vast. It is full of different shapes and colours of sand, and each part of it feels different. But this particular place, in the northern part of the Empty Quarter, is truly unique. The dunes' shape caught our attention immediately, so I visited — twice — and eventually photographed it.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

In the photo, you can see my car, which gives you a sense of scale. The landscape is incredibly clean and untouched. It looks surreal — almost like something created by AI. You wouldn’t believe it is real at first glance.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

I also travelled there with an expert and a friend, and we spent about eight days in total. But from time to time, I like to separate myself — 10, 20, sometimes even 50 kilometres away — just to be alone in the landscape. I enjoy solitude in nature. There is something special about that feeling — being completely alone in such a vast and powerful environment.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

Even though it is not really safe to be alone in the Empty Quarter, I would let my friend know and then head off on my own to photograph certain spots.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

Columnar jointing

I believe there are similar formations in places like Iceland and Ireland. So when I heard that something like this exists in Saudi Arabia, too, I was really intrigued. I didn’t know the exact location, but I had seen a photo, probably taken by a local on a mobile phone.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

So I decided to go. I took my drone and spent the whole day searching for the spot. After some time exploring, I finally found it. I climbed up and started taking photos. I also placed myself in the middle of the formation to show the scale and the sheer magnitude of this strange and beautiful basalt structure.

Photo: Ibrahim Sarhan

The symmetry and texture of the stones are so surreal — it looks like something carved, but it is all natural. I think it would be interesting to research more about the history of this type of geological formation.

Location: Mushraf Mountain, Alharjah, Aseer Province

by Alexandra Mansilla