The Land of Midian (Revisited) — Volume 2

Venturing beyond the familiar maps of Europe, a determined party pushes into the uncharted expanse of South Midian. Their march winds through the stark, red‑sanded Hismá landscape, skirting jagged valleys and the looming silhouettes of Jebel Shárr and Jebel Sa’lúwwah. Along the way, they encounter restless gazelles, swift hares, and the ever‑watchful desert lizards that turn the ground into a treacherous maze of hidden pits.

As thirst gnaws at the exhausted camels, the explorers scramble for a source of water, uncovering a hidden spring that bubbles from a fissure in massive granite pillars. These strange formations, layered with basalt veins and speckled with red jasper, rise like natural cathedrals, offering both shelter and a haunting beauty. By nightfall, the camp settles beneath the shadow of El‑Ruways, its occupants listening to the distant hum of insects while the desert’s silent grandeur looms all around.