The Al-Hutaymah Crater near Tabah (Saudi Arabia)

 

Please mind the comment specifications! [1]

The Al-Hutaymah Crater (Al-Hatima Crater) is part of a dormant volcano near the town of Tabah, both located in the Ha'il region. A track, approximately 6 km long, leads from the road to Tabah to the crater, and jeeps are available for transport [2]. The crater itself is called a maar. The Eifel region also has many maars, which are known as the "eyes of the Eifel." Etymologically, the word "maar" derives from the Latin word "mare," meaning sea. The term originated in the Eifel region and was initially used in the area around Daun. [3] Maars form when hot magma rises and evaporates large amounts of groundwater, resulting in an explosion.
The Al-Hutaymah crater measures approximately 1.2 km in diameter and is 130 m deep [4]. It is one of the five deepest craters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In the Eifel region of Germany, the area around the maars is green, but in Saudi Arabia, the landscape around the craters is gray with perhaps a touch of ochre. Although it had rained recently, no green was visible. The barren landscape is a beauty in itself. Beyond the crater, another crater can be seen. Since the lighting conditions made it difficult to discern contours, I used the "impressive" function on my camera. What seems to be withered plants on the crater floor is a reflection of the crater rim in the already low-lying sun. The rain had created reflective surfaces. Salt was once harvested at the bottom of the crater.

Links and Annotations:
[1] Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia and Islam have become sensitive topics, so I must communicate the conditions for comments more specifically. This travelogue is not the appropriate place for a discussion of human rights. This is something for Amnesty International [1a]. Such comments, including Islamophobic ones, go to the spam folder.
[1a] https://www.amnesty.de/informieren/laender/saudi-arabien
[2] https://mindtrip.ai/attraction/saudi-arabia/al-hatima-crater/at-PYKobVre
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maar The article only mentions the Al Wahbah crater near Ta'if for Saudi Arabia. This crater measures 2.3 km [2.0 km] in diameter and 250 m [220 m] in depth.
[4] https://saudipedia.com/en/article/4133/geography/harrat/list-of-the-five-deepest-volcanic-craters-in-saudi-arabia

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