Saudi Arabia's forgotten Red Sea archipelago — 84 coral islands with Ottoman ruins, gazelles, and zero mass tourism
The Farasan Islands are a Red Sea archipelago of 84 coral limestone islands lying off the coast of Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia — one of the least visited but most rewarding of the kingdom's natural areas, accessible only by boat from Jizan. The main island, Farasan Al Kabir, has a well-preserved old town with Ottoman-era coral buildings, a 16th-century mosque, and a Roman garrison inscription (the southernmost known Roman military presence in Arabia). The surrounding waters are rich in dugong, sea turtles, reef fish, and migrating seabirds; the islands host the largest breeding populat…
The Farasan Islands have been inhabited since at least the Roman period — an inscription found on Farasan Al Kabir records a detachment of the Legio II Traiana Fortis based here in the 2nd century CE, guarding what was presumably a Red Sea trading waypoint and the southernmost reach of Roman strategic interest. Ottoman expansion south from Hejaz brought a garrison and the coral-block mosque and administrative buildings still standing in the old quarter. The islands were administered by the Idrisi Emirate of Asir in the early 20th century before being incorporated into Saudi Arabia. The gazell…