Farasan Islands

Farasan Islands

Native name: جزر فرسان
Al-Rifai House built in traditional Farasani architecture
Farasan Islands
Geography
Coordinates	16°48′00″N 41°51′00″E / 16.80000°N 41.85000°E / 16.80000; 41.85000
Type	Coral
Total islands	176
Administration
Saudi Arabia
Province	Jazan Province
Largest city	Farasan
Demographics
Population	13,529 (2022)[1]
Additional information
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)
Postal code	88XXX

The Farasan Islands (Arabic: جزر فرسان; transliterated: Juzur Farasān) are a small group of coral islands approximately 40 km off the coast of Jizan in the Red Sea, belonging to Saudi Arabia.^[2]

The government provides free ferry rides twice a day to Farasan Islands from Jizan Port. The largest island of the archipelago is Farasan Island; others include Sajid Island and Zufaf Island. The islands are a popular tourist destination. In recent years the Saudi government has tried to increase the tourism quality and worth (as part of a larger tourism drive in the country) of the Islands in order to attract even more visitors.^[3]

In the 1st century AD, the islands were known as Portus Ferresanus. A Latin inscription dating from 144 AD has been found on the island which attests to the construction of a Roman garrison.

It is believed that the islands may have been attached to the Roman province of Arabia Felix, before being transferred to Aegyptus some time before 144 AD^[4].

This fact would make the Farasan Islands the farthest Roman outpost (until at least the third century), being nearly 4,000 km (2,500 mi) from Rome itself^[5]

It remained this way up until the Arab Muslim conquest of the islands and subsequent Islamization.^[6]. Furthermore it is noteworthy to pinpoint that recent studies found that in the local language there are some loanwords from Latin.

The climate in the Farasan archipelago is characterised by a long hot season (April–October) and a short mild one (November–March). In the long dry period, high temperatures are usually dominant. The mean annual temperature is 30 °C. Furthermore, the mean relative humidity in winter ranges from 70% to 80% and in summer between 65% and 78%. The highest rainfall occurs in April and the precipitation is generally unpredictable in the southern part of Red Sea.^[7]

The Farasan Island Marine Sanctuary is a protected area. It is home to the Arabian gazelle, and, in winter, migratory birds from Europe.^[8] Oceanic animals include manta rays,^[9] whale sharks,^[10] and several species of sea turtles including endangered and critically endangered green and hawksbill turtles, dugongs,^[9] and several species of dolphins and whales with occasional visits by others such as orcas.^{[11][12][13][14]}

After a French engineer investigated petroleum seeps on the islands in 1912, a 75-year concession was granted to the Red Sea oilfields.^[15] At the time, the Farasan Islands supported a small fishing industry.^[16]

Tourism and fishing also play a role in the economy. Farasan Island is connected to Jezan port by ferry.

• 
  Al-Rifai House
• 
  Al-Rifai House From the Inside
• 
  Details of Al-Rifai House in Farasan Islands
• 
  Ottoman fort in Farasan Islands
• 
  Al-Najdi Mosque in Farasan Islands
• 
  Farasan Islands Beach
• 
  Farasan Islands from the International Space Station
• 
  Ras Shada in Farasan Islands
• 
  Seagulls in Farasan Islands’ Beaches

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Farasan.

• Saudi Aramco World: Dreaming of Farasan
• Farasan Island, a diver's paradise Archived 2016-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes