Farasan
The Forgotten Pearl of the Red Sea
Farasan has enormous natural assets, and is potentially a very attractive tourist spot; all it needs is investment.
Farasan is home to the “Adami” gazelle, a very gracious and beautiful creature. The marine life  is to a
large extent unadulterated, while the birds
stop over in their  long migratory path.

The island is rich in its natural resources, which make it promising
tourist attraction

Like scattered pearls, if you’re lucky enough to see them, this archipelago appears floating on the calm waters of the sea. If you’ve been there once, you would have certainly wanted to come back. We’re talking of the archipelago of Farasan, with its islands strewn so serenely and beautifully across the Red Sea. Not many people have heard of Farasan, let alone seen it.Farasan lies about 48 kilometers westward of the city of Jizan, with a slight slant toward the south. This archipelago consists of 263 islands, and Farasan “Major” is the biggest of all measuring 38,100 hectares. Its circumference, if you were to travel around its outer edges, would take you 216 kilometers from start to finish.The inhabited ones of all these islands are only three, Farasan “Major”, the biggest of all where most of the islanders live, and where most government departments and services are located. Then there is Farasan “Minor” or “Saqid”, with an area of about 14,900 hectares and a coastal belt extending 64 kilometers. The “Saqid” sits northwest of Farasan “Major”. Finally, there is the island of “Gimah”. It has taken on a  strategic significance in that it sits near the international waters of the Red Sea. It lies south west of Farasan “Major” around six kilometers off the “Jinabah” coast.Besides these three, all others are not inhabited, but are frequented by fisherman, picnickers and nature lovers .
Farasan Through History
The islands have taken on an added significance because of its geographical location. It also has attracted special attention for being one of the major coral reef centers of the world. It also has oysters in abundance.
Countries have been vying for these islands across history, before the advent of the Saudi state; especially so in the era of new geographical discoveries, when the Portuguese were dominating the sea lanes. The Portuguese flag once fluttered over these islands.They were fascinated by its proximity to the international sea lane that extends the length of the Red Sea, from south to north. The island was also fought over by the British and the Italians, when it was still under Ottoman rule. You can still, to this day, find the “Turkish” fort here, as well as army barracks known as the “Ardah”. Subsequently, Farasan fell under Saudi rule in 1351 Hijra (1932)

.How Did the Islands Form?
Studies suggest that the surface of these islands is a complex mix of deep gorges, shallow waters and coral reef which formed relatively recently, not more than five million years ago. Yaqut Al-Hamawi, the famous historian, says in his book Mu’jam Al-Buldan, that the name of Farasan comes from a Christian tribe with the same name, (that inhabited the area) and had its established churches there.

Farasan and Pearls
The sea imposed on Farasanians a certain way of life, socially and economically speaking. The people of Farasan were used to challenging the shores and waters. They fought the  waves and dived into the  waters with purpose and intent, while never forgetting to enjoy the  moonlit nights and  breezy evenings.Boats from these shores set out in certain seasons looking for pearls on the beds found not so far from the  shores. Then they would come back, never disappointing the buyers, and most of the time never disappointing the sellers. From there the pearls would find their way to Aden, an open market for pearl, or across the other side of the Arabian sea, in the Gulf. Bahrain was a popular destination for those who had pearls for sale. Beside the pearls, these shores also had a rich tradition of poetry and sentiment, in spite of the fact that these  brought a lot of hardships and struggles, too. Men used to stay weeks, even months on end, away from their families. Life had to go on, and food had to be worked for. The color of their faces here reflected part of the hardship they had to face under a hot and scorching  sun. However, the people could still see the lighter side of life. They always had their songs and  dances. The harshness of the daytime only brought them closer at night.Pearl and diving had left thier clear influence on every house. It is rare to find a house here without a decoration or a carving that does not depict its marine culture. There are traces of wealth as well. The house of “Munawwar Rifa’i” is an antique standing proudly. It was built in 1341 Hijra (1922) and is adorned with all kinds of drawings, carvings, and divine verses from  the Holy Qur’an. It took a whole year for the house to be completed. The “Najdi” mosque is not far away. Rectangular in shape, it takes its name from Ibrahim Najdi who came here in 1347 Hijra. The pulpit and platform were brought here all the way from India, and are swamped with embellishments and adornments that are exaggerated in style and precision. From culture to relics,  at about 19 kilometers to the west of Farasan “proper”, one can find “Al-Qarayyat”. The buildings that used to stand here have long gone, but its ruins are a testimony to how active these islands  used to be. Another historical site is “Gharin”. The site holds the remnants ofa well with three huge rocks at its mouth; it also shows writings of Arabic origin. Then there is the “Kadmi” site in the “Qassar” village, about 5 kilometers south of Farasan proper.   Some of the ruins here still have discernible Arabic writings inscribed on them. You can find “Luqman” fortress or mountain situated on the higher grounds of “Kadmi”. The defensive towers of the fort are still barely recognizable. The “Mahreq” village has its share of relics as well. Here you can find remnants of no less than six wells meticulously carved in the rocks. In the “Matar” valley you can find more than one historical site. One site holds a group of buildings hewed from  marine rock and stone; another is the ruins of which used to be an Islamic grave yard. The graves were built adjacent to each other giving the graveyard a building-like appearance. There are a lot of writings on them, which still have to be deciphered. Finally, the “Jurmul House” which was built in 1901 can be classified as heritage, but not as an artifact. However, this house on “Gimah” island draws its importance from the fact that  it was built during the time of the Turkish-German alliance. It was a storehouse for coal once used as fuel  for ships cruising the Red Sea between theSuez Canal and the Straits of Bab el Mandab The Seasons, and the Tourist Sites in Farasan
Farasan has beautiful shores that make the islands very attractive for tourists. The continuous shoreline rolls languidly around them, while its crystal-clear waters caress  gently its pristine sands. The islands also conceal some lovely bays and coves; these have inevitably become hot spots for the eager tourist or avid diver seeking to inspect its marine  life at close range.The most illustrious of its bays is the one found on the southern shore belt  called “Abu Junabah”. The bay is rich in marine life for tourists to enjoy. A high class hotel has been built on its shores. The “Ra’s Al-Qarn” beachhead is one of the most beautiful on the island with its very clean sands and pellucid waters. The “Qandal” area lies to the north, and is quite distinct. It is a forest of mangrove and similar vegetation. The forest has abundant waterways and small inlets, which lend great  charm and magic to the area. Then there is the “Faghawa” beach known for its palm trees, wells, and mountains that look like umbrellas. Many Farasanians come here for regular net-fishing.But the traditional holiday spot for the people of Farasan is the “Qassar” village mentioned before. The village is blessed with an abundance of fresh underground water and is an oasis of palm trees. We also mentioned the “Mahreq” village earlier. But what we did not reveal was that, besides being of historical significance, it has some enchanting shores as well. These include a fishing spot called “Abrah”. Tourists are normally very keen on visiting it.
 Farasan, the Future Tourist Front of Saudi ArabiaFarasan has enormous natural assets, and is potentially a very attractive tourist spot; all it needs is investment. Its natural assets include its flora. Farasan is not only known  for its marine coral , but also for a variety of interesting wild plants which include, among other things, aromatic plants such as the “Bassham” (Commpihona gileadensis) and the “Munes”. Its mangroves, of course, are of very special environmental and ecological value. It will be interesting to mention some of the indigenous animals found in Farasan. The island is home to the “Adami” gazelle, a very gracious and beautiful creature. The marine life in Farasan is to a large extent unadulterated, while the birds that stop over  in their  long migratory path, keep the shores fairly busy. Of the indigenous birds, the seagull and the pelican are  the most illustrious.
Farasan is also unique in terms of its social spectrum.  It has many exclusive habits, traditions, and even seasons. The “Shaddah” season, for example, is when people move to the palm tree villages. The occasion is accompanied by traditional games and songs. Another season is the “Sha’baniyyah” season which  celebrates the migration of birds to “Gimah.” Farasan “Major” also has a special place in the calendar of Farasan; it is a season of hunting.The most important of all seasons though is “Harid”. The Governor of the Jizan region himself patronizes the festival. It has been declared  as one of the official festivals of the Supreme Commission for Tourism. The name of the festival, “Harid,” is derived from the Latin name of a bird called “sea parate”. The festival takes center stage between April and May in an area called “Hasis”, and during the festival attempts are made to catch the bird. More important, however, are the  songs and traditions that accompany the ceremonious occasion. There are also many cultural evenings during the festival where poetry takes center stage. In recent years “Harid”  witnessed increased  interest with the organizing of special sea trips to the area. With Farasan and its festivals very much on the ascendancy, tourism is expected to grow, especially with the greater interest shown by the private sector.