Jabal Abu Makhruq (Arabic: جبل أبو مخروق), or in Najdi vernacular pronunciation as Jabal Abo Makhrog and popularly known as Camel's Eye (Arabic: عين الجمل), is a conical limestone hill with a natural arch through it in the ad-Dubbat neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[1][2][3] With an elevation of approximately 50 meters, it is so named for a 7 to 8 meters wide,[4] almost oval hole through the top of the hill that was formed due to erosion.[5][6] It was mentioned in Yaqut al-Hamawi's 13th century work Kitāb Mu'jam al-Buldān as Jabal Kharba (Arabic: جبل الخربة) and was once a stopover for caravans arriving from Eastern Arabia en route to the walled town of Riyadh.[7][8] The hill was once infamous among locals to be purportedly haunted by Jinns and demons.[9]
Overview
The hill is made of limestone and is known for its 7–8 meters wide cavity on the top of the hill that was formed due to erosion.[10] It overlooks the district of al-Malazz and previously had lent its name to the area. The site later became a local visitor attraction as a place of relaxation, and thus, is also regarded as the oldest park of Riyadh years before the site surrounding the hill was transformed into a 40,000 square meters urban park in 1980 by the Riyadh Municipality.[11]
Several historical accounts suggest that Abdulaziz ibn Saud had camped in the area the night before he engaged in the Battle of Riyadh in 1902.[12][13] The site was visited by St. John Philby in 1918 and Japanese traveler and historian Eigiro Nakano mentioned this mountain in his 1939 book A Japanese Visit to the Arabian Peninsula.[14]
In 2020, the Riyadh Municipality proposed to rehabilitate the park and announced a competition for its design.[15] The designs were selected in 2021 and construction work began in 2023.[16][17]
