Small Wadi and Falaj Near Haywan

As regular visitors to the Hajar Mountains of Buraimi know, there are numerous small oasis communities located along the base of the mountains as the draingage systems open up to the gravel plain between Juwaif and Wadi Jizzi. There is, it seems, a small community at each of these openings, some large and well known (Khutwah, Aboul, Khudrah) and others very small and without a published name.

The photographs below were taken in one of these small communities that, the evidence suggests, has been in operation for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It also features evidence of sedimentation along the falaj system, with the channel elevated after years of deposits. There are a few graves and only one structure located to date.

This wadi is located between Musah and Khutwah.

The footpath leading into the wadi	Small manmade shelters that were probably used by shepherds, hunters or weekend campers	The remains of a 'donkey trail' (left)	The view from the beginning of the deep wadi channel out towards the gravel plain (Mahdah in the distance to the right)
The deteriorated remains of some structures were found on this gravel bar	Evidently an Islamic period grave just a few meters from the edge of the gravel plain	The footpath along the top of the gravel plain is evident	As the wadi bed narrows and the gravel plain disappears, another structure, possibly a grave
A view a little further along the wadi	Footpath diagonaly along the slope	Location of only real structure along the footpath	The falaj is very narrow and shows signs of build up
A view of the meandering falaj looking back towards the spring	Nearer the spring, the falaj is wider	The spring	The view from the spring downstream to the reservoir
View of the falaj near the reservoir	A spring that is no longer flowing, the white powder evidence of the dissolved minerals in the water	The bottom of the reservoir is blanketed with deposits of minerals that were originally in solution