Eastern Lava Field

-Harra Sharqiyyah, Ali Ibn Talib Road-

Trail Overview


Location	South of Madinah. Outside of the city (past the third ring road on Ali ibn Talib road)
Terrain	Mainly flat
Surface Type	Dirt road
Difficulty Level	Easy
Trail Length	7.3 km loop
Elevation Gain	NA
Estimated Time	2 hours
Development Status	Completed
Accessibility	Not easily accessible by taxi. This is not a recognized trail and there are no trail marking or parking lot
Seasonal Notes	There are no lights on the road or nearby, so make sure to finish hiking before Maghrib. Be aware of wild dogs and possible wolves in the area.

Trail Description

This trail is located in an area commonly called حرة واقم (also الحرة الشرقية, “the eastern harrat”). It is a black-rock lava field east/south-east of the city of Madīnah. The lava field is no longer active. It is one of the many harrats (lava fields) that is covered with dark, often jagged rock that came from old lava flows.

This trail has not been designed for hikers. Rather, it is a dirt road that has been cut through the lava field to service the power lines, and to reach some small farms that are in the area.

The road follows the power lines and leads to a small volcanic crater.

As you walk, you can see different types of lava rocks and formations to side of the road.

Natural Features

Lava rocks, formations and solidified lava flows
Small crater

Religious Significance

There are large lava fields to the east of Madinah and to the west of Madinah. In the past, these lava fields helped to form the physical barrier that kept Madinah safe from attacks and invasions.

These fields are the natural boundaries of the sacred precinct (ḥaram) of Madinah.

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ defined the ḥaram of Madinah as the area between its two lava fields (the eastern and western harrats). He said: “Indeed, Abraham made Makkah sacred, and I have made Madinah sacred, between its two lava fields. Its trees are not to be cut, and its game is not to be hunted.” This hadith is recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Book of Ḥajj).