Jabal Dakka
Taif's highest mountain.
Abdul Razzaq Phulpot… — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saanina — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziyad Alsufyani — CC BY-SA 4.0 · shawqi9116 — CC BY 3.0 · shawqi9116 — CC BY 3.0 · Ziyad Alsufyani — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saanina — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziyad Alsufyani — CC BY-SA 4.0
A mountain summer resort south-west of Taif, about 2,240 metres above sea level on the edge of the Tihamah escarpment, which gave it its name: Al Shafa means «the edge». It is one of the Kingdom's best-known summer retreats, drawing visitors from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states in the summer holidays. The main road splits the area into two, Shafa Hudhayl and Shafa Bani Sufyan, with old villages, traditional houses and tall stone forts. Its farms are known for the Shafa rose, distilled into rose perfume, and for pomegranates, grapes and prickly pears, known locally as barshumi. Its highest point is Jabal Dakka, the biggest mountain around Taif, its slopes covered in juniper; in winter the summit drops below freezing. It is so high that the sun sets over Al Shafa seven minutes after Taif, and over the summit two minutes after that. The road from Taif is paved and winding, passing farms, viewpoints and rest stops. The visit is free and summer is the season; evenings turn cool, so bring a jacket.
Taif's highest mountain.
Distilled into perfume.
Stone houses and forts.
About 30 km south-west of Taif
Its mild summers at about 2,240 metres, its farms of Shafa roses, pomegranates, grapes and prickly pears, and Jabal Dakka, Taif's highest mountain.