Travel across the harraat, “more
often a vast bed and banks of rusty and basaltic bluish blocks,” was a formidable
task: “Because of this cumber of stones and sharp cutting lavas, the Harra
country is hard to pass, out of the paths, for any other than Harra-bred
camels. The heavy poised stones sliding and toppling to the tread, the
herdsmen’s feet are oftentimes sorely bruised; of which, and because the stones
are as glowing coals in the summer sun, the Beduin hinds in the Harra commonly
sit all day upon the croups of their browsing camels.”
The Harrat Rahat between Madinah and
Makkah is twice as large as the nation of Lebanon, and the combined area of the
haraat of Saudi Arabia is larger than the US state of Missouri.
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