Shaq Alreesh: Walking Across 600 Million Years of Earth’s History

Mohammad Alkhawaldeh
10 hours ago
4 min read

A Deep Journey into the Heart of Shaq Alreesh in Dana Biosphere Reserve

There are trails you walk…And there are trails where you walk across the history of the Earth itself.

Shaq Al-Reesh is not merely a 4-kilometer circular hike.

It is an exposed geological archive that begins more than 600 million years ago — before the continents took their modern shape.

Here, you are not walking on rocks. You are walking on the remains of entire eras.

Geology: How Was Shaq Alreesh Stone Created?

1️⃣ The Deep Foundation – Precambrian (>600 Million Years Ago)

The land beneath your feet was once part of the ancient crystalline basement of the Arabian Plate.

Granites and igneous rocks formed deep within the Earth's crust during the early assembly of continental masses.

These rocks form the skeletal framework of the entire region.

2️⃣ The Cambrian Period (540–500 Million Years Ago)

During this era, the region was covered by shallow seas and vast river systems.Sands transported by ancient currents accumulated over immense spans of time.

Eventually, these sands transformed into what we now know as Nubian Sandstone — one of the most significant and ancient sedimentary formations in Jordan.

How did sand become stone?

Thick layers of sand accumulated over millions of years.
The weight of overlying deposits compressed them.
Silica-rich groundwater infiltrated the sediments.
Silica precipitated between grains, acting as a natural cement.
The sand lithified — becoming solid rock.

The red and orange cliffs you see today are the visible outcome of that slow geological process.

3️⃣ Tectonic Uplift – The Birth of the Highlands

Around 20–30 million years ago, movements along the Dead Sea Transform Fault reshaped the region dramatically.

Blocks of crust were uplifted, others subsided, and the Araba Valley gradually opened.

Ancient buried layers were lifted to the surface.

This exposure set the stage for erosion to sculpt what we see today.

4️⃣ Erosion – The True Artist of Shaq Alreesh

Desert winds.
Seasonal flash floods.
Extreme temperature variation between day and night.
Over thousands of years, these forces carved Shaq Al-Reesh.
Erosion here is selective.
Weaker layers disappear first.
Harder layers remain.

The result: sharp ridges, narrow passages, sculpted formations.

When you walk through the small “siq” section of the Shaq Alreesh trail, you are inside a channel carved by water — drop by drop, season after season.

Human History: Who Walked Here Before Us?

Paleolithic Period (50,000 Years Ago)

Archaeological evidence indicates early human presence in the wider region. Hunter-gatherers utilized natural corridors and seasonal water sources.

The Edomites (1200–600 BCE)

An Iron Age civilization that inhabited southern Jordan. They used mountainous terrain for protection and trade movement.

The Nabataeans (4th Century BCE – 106 CE)

Masters of desert water engineering. They constructed channels and reservoirs to harvest seasonal rainwater.

Natural corridors like Shaq AlReesh likely formed part of their trade routes connecting Arabia to the Mediterranean.

The Romans (106–324 CE)

After annexing the Nabataean Kingdom, the Romans integrated the region into Provincia Arabia, developing organized road systems and strengthening regional trade networks.

Ottoman Era & Bedouin Communities (Last 400 Years)

The modern village of Dana was established approximately in the 17th century.Bedouin families used these same highland paths for grazing and seasonal movement.