Khaybar: Saudi Arabia’s hidden gem of lava, forts, and sacred geometry 
I have met people from all around the world and have made two distinct observations. My first is the more obvious one: the diversity of thought, belief, and practice among humans is astounding. It seems that there is no end to the creative and innovative ways that people express their humanity to each other. Any time a group of people, no matter how small, splits off and goes their own way, they develop a shared set of ideas and ideals. Through these ideals they forge a common identity. You see this behavior at the country level as well as in small social clubs.
My second observation, the less obvious one, is that there are universals. There are patterns that emerge — signs that in spite of the grand beauty and intricacy of our diversity, despite everything that makes groups of people unique, we are nevertheless of one kind.
These truths are constantly displayed in one of Arabia’s most fortified oases, where lava and sacred geometry converge in distinct harmony.
Saudi Arabia’s Khaybar is the first ever geological volcanic tourism destination. It is a hidden treasure, concealed from plain sight. Adventurers and the merely curious flock here to witness examples of sacred geometry etched into the earth. Forts and fortresses, including Na’em Fortress, Al-Sa’b Bin Muadh Fortress, Qulla Fortress/Al-Zubayr Castle, Ubi Castle, Al-Nizar Fortress, Al-Qamous Fortress, Al-Watih Fortress, and Al-Salam Fortress, have garnered widespread and sustained interest due to their striking character and remarkable resemblance to Tuareg art.
The parallels between Khaybar geometric patterns and Tuareg art, the more I have studied them, go beyond anything that coincidence could have brought about. They are illogical on the surface. When one considers Khaybar geometry and Tuareg art, one would not expect such pronounced overlap.
There is also a significant Jewish history in the area: Jews and Muslims coexisted in Khaybar, with Jewish-Arab tribes such as the Banu Natheer, Banu Quraitha from Jutham, Marhab from Himyarite, Azed, and Tay flourishing in this “fortified oasis” — a place where cultures could thrive safely, owing to both the abundant natural resources and the protective fortifications.
The thing to know about Tuareg art, shedding light on this whole area, is that it prefers to avoid boundaries. It favors wide open spaces, just as the Tuareg — who roam the desert freely — always have in their day-to-day lives. Their art is a reflection of their routines. Because they live their lives without boundaries, they eschew them in their etchings.
This art is not confined to a single geographic area. Here we come to my point about universality, which often sneaks up and surprises us. Today, we know of examples of these sacred geometries in the Saharan lands of Mali, Niger, Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Libya.
The parallels between Khaybar geometric patterns and Tuareg art, the more I have studied them, go beyond anything that coincidence could have brought about. They are illogical on the surface. When one considers Khaybar geometry and Tuareg art, one would not expect such pronounced overlap.
Yet, there is.
I celebrate culture in all its diversity. When I encounter someone who does something, eats something, or says something in a manner that almost no one else in the world does, it brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of the complexity of culture, how elusive it is to categorize. Conversely, every once in a while, I am reminded that there are values that are pan-cultural, details that emerge repeatedly. By analyzing these, we come to understand not just a single culture more fully, but all of humanity too.
• Abeer S. Al-Saud is an op-ed writer for Arab News, exploring development, peace, and cultural topics. The views expressed in this piece are personal.
