In a place in Medina, Saudi Arabia, there is a unique tourist object called Jabal Magnet or Magnetic Hill. As the name implies, this hill exhibits magical phenomena such as magnetic attraction.
The hill, which is about 30 minutes away from Medina, is nicknamed by the locals Wadi Al-Baida or Wadi Al-Jinn. This popular tourist attraction is offered to pilgrims visiting Medina.
The road to this hill offers views of date palm plantations, deserts, beautiful rock hills, artificial lakes, and herds of camels that are grazed.
Apart from enjoying the scenery, of course tourists who come are curious to see and feel the phenomenon of magnetic attraction in the area for themselves.
"It's easy to find dozens of cars and buses in Wadi Al-Jinn who want to experience the phenomenon of reverse gravity, which makes cars roll up a hill," said driver and tour guide Abdullah Al-Harbi, quoted from Arab News, Saturday (21/1/2023) ).
"People also tried pouring water on the asphalt and rolling on the road to prove that the car was moving on its own," he said.
The influence of Jabal Magnet is felt in motorized vehicles. When the engine is turned off, a car that wants to leave the area can go fast up to 100 km/hour up to four kilometers from the location.
On the other hand, when approaching an area, a motorized vehicle that wants to approach it will feel that it is being pushed harder as if it were going up or down a hill, even though the terrain looks horizontal.
The effect of magnetism on metal is also felt if we check it on a compass. In this area, the compass needle will immediately rotate as if it has lost its direction.
Myth, this area is a place of jinn. That's why another name for this place is Wadi Al-Jinn. Local residents claim that at night they often hear voices asking them to leave.
Scientific explanation
There are two theories that are still being debated regarding the Magnetic Hill phenomenon. The first theory is the anti-gravity phenomenon. Many who believe in this theory believe that the phenomenon occurs because these hills radiate large amounts of magnetic energy.
While the second opinion is very contrary to the phenomenon of anti-gravity. The second theory says that the phenomenon where the area feels magnetic is actually an optical illusion created by a rising and falling field.
The landscape around the area, including mountains, rocks or trees, merges with the horizon and positions in such a way that deceives our minds and eyes.
Thus, the area where the 'magnetic force' is felt to be strong is actually an optical illusion from the topography of the surrounding area which gives the impression that the slightly descending slope is as if it were an ascending slope.
The phenomenon of the Medina Magnetic Hill is also an optical illusion of what appears to be a rising slope is actually a gentle slope.
Not only in Saudi Arabia, the phenomenon of magnetic fields exists in various countries, including Indonesia (Radar Hill in Aceh), South Korea (Dokkaebi Road), United States (Gravity Hill), India (Leh Ladakh) and others.