Jabal Kara

Jabal Kara is one of the mountains in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located southwest of Taif Governorate, Makkah al-Mukarramah Province. It separates Sarat Taif and Tihama of Makkah al-Mukarramah. Its elevation is 2,177 m above sea level, and it is part of the Sarawat Mountains.

Jabal Kara used to pose an obstacle to movement between Sarat Taif and Tihama of Makkah until Hussein Bin Salamah carved two paths nearly one thousand years ago, one for caravans (Darb al-Jammalah) and the other for pedestrians (Darb al-Mushat), and paved them with stones. This resulted in the appearance of a path between the summit of the mountain in al-Hada and al-Kurr below Kara following Shaddad, then Wadi Nu'man. The two paths continued until 1966, when a third road was opened during the reign of King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, transforming Jabal Kara from a barrier between Makkah al-Mukarramah and Taif into a project that facilitated people's movement and travel.

Both Darb al-Jammalah and Darb al-Mushat are among the archaeological landmarks of Jabal Kara. Darb al-Jammalah witnessed development in the eleventh century and could accommodate pedestrians and animals. Elders used to travel on this route before the existence of automobiles to reach Makkah al-Mukarramah in three days. The mountain road spans about six km and splits into two paths halfway. One path is for caravans and their camels, while the other is for pedestrians and riders. Some camels, especially those carrying heavy loads, would crawl along parts of this road. From this route, a path branches off to Bevel's coffee, while the other leads to the Halwani bench. Both paths are at the top of Jabal Kara following al-Hada.

In Jabal Kara, a paved road was constructed descending from al-Hada in the Taif Governorate towards the city of Makkah al-Mukarramah. Initially, it was a single-lane road, then it was expanded to become a dual-lane, spanning approximately twelve km in length. Jabal Kara encompasses important recreational areas and tourist spots in Makkah al-Mukarramah Province. Cable cars ascend from the tourist village of al-Kurr in Wadi an-Nu'man to al-Hada Park, covering a journey of approximately 4.2 km. Jabal Kara is considered one of the highest mountains in the Kingdom. It consists of solid rocks resistant to weathering factors, and its vegetative cover includes several trees, such as juniper, acacia, and some herbs.