Ihab Al Rifai (Al Dhafra Region)
The Al Dhafra region represents a magnet for nature lovers and seekers of challenge and adventure, and a forum for those interested in history, heritage and civilization, whether from within or outside the country, with its distinct components spread in the picturesque desert or coasts and the attractive marine areas that abound in the Al Dhafra region, including Sir Bani Yas Island. It has a charming nature and is considered the largest natural reserve in the Middle East. The area of the island is about 230 square kilometers. After years, an artificial island was added to it, the “Green Island”, which has an area of 8 square kilometers.
Sir Bani Yas Island is located on the southwest side of the coast of Abu Dhabi, 170 km from it, and 9 km from Jebel Dhanna. The island, with its mountains and forests, represents an excellent nature for wildlife, which has contributed to attracting thousands of fun seekers to enjoy its natural components and distinguished tourism programs.
The island witnessed special attention from the late father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, and he re-launched it in 1971 and restored interest to it, due to its distinct components, and the great position it represents that narrates the history of the people of the region, through the paths of time. It has a special place and importance in itself, which is why he used to visit it on a regular basis.
Historic status
Sir Bani Yas Island is characterized by a great historical position, as it includes the oldest monastery and a church in the region, which date back to between the seventh and eighth centuries AD. They were discovered during archaeological surveys in Abu Dhabi in 1992, where the excavation team found a large number of sites on the island. Sir Bani Yas dates back to different periods of time, and the site includes a building consisting of three parallel sides, in which stucco crosses and other pieces were found indicating that it was a church and a monastery dating back to between the seventh and eighth centuries AD, and it is the only site discovered that dates back to the early Christian period in the UAE United Arab Emirates.
According to archaeologists, it is believed that the monastery was built at the end of the sixth century AD, and was abandoned around 750 AD. The monastery is located on the eastern side of Sir Bani Yas Island, and its main gate faces towards the east near a small creek on the beach, which is a few hundred meters away.
wild animals
The island is a haven for more than 15,000 local and non-local species of wild mammals, and many animals classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and its resources as endangered, or as vulnerable animals in the wild, including: the sea turtle, the reem deer, and the black antelope. Morows, mountain sheep and Arabian Oryx, as the island plays a vital role in protecting these animals for future generations.
rare birds
Many rare endemic and migratory birds also live on Sir Bani Yas Island, the most important of which is the Houbara bustard, which is important to the people of the region because it is used as prey for falconry enthusiasts, which is an important part of the country’s heritage, in addition to the African ostrich, which is related to the Arab ostrich that Extinct from the wild. It also includes the rhea and the emu, all of which have increased equally and in large numbers. Scientific reports on these types of birds have indicated that there are about 170 species of wild birds, some of which have begun to breed, perhaps the most prominent of which is the flamingo (the great flamingo – the venter), which gathers in large numbers of more than a hundred in artificial lakes and in shallow ponds that protect them Mangroves from tidal currents.
On Sir Bani Yas Island today, there are large numbers of environmental trees that number more than two million, such as: Sidr, Ghaf, Al-Ghaif, Arak, Neem, Acacia, and Al-Samar Municipal, which are spread in about 250 forests that are steadily increasing, and the island also includes 260 fenced forests. It includes about three million local forest trees that can withstand heat and thirst, and about 300,000 fruit, olive, carob and tamarind trees in more than 32 farms that produce most of the fruits in the world, and the number of olive trees has reached about 15,000.
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