Province
|
Asir Mountain Villages
| Every mountain village in Asir has a different character - and a different color. Some are towering terraced houses clinging to the cliff faces, while others look cakes decorated with icing |
 |
The Asir Mountains are part of the same geological fault as the Great Rift Valley in Africa. The highest point in Saudi Arabia is Jebel Sawdah, reaching a peak at 2910 metres near Abha, while other extraordinary mountains include Jebel al Taraf in Ohud Rofaidah and Jebel Al Helah, (an extinct volcano) some two kms from the village of Mohayl.
The height of these mountains and the depth of their valleys means that before motor vehicles, moving building supplies was difficult, and often villages relied on materials and techniques that were at hand. The result is that each village is wildly different to the next.
While some villages seem to nestle together into valleys in earthy shades of brown and tan, another village will have every house painted in a different color. Some will be made of patterned stones, another in the adobe style with thatched roofing.
There are five distinctive styles of architecture here, each with a twist that is unique to Asir; Mud (Adobe) Tower Houses such as you find in Al Khalef; Stone Apron Tower Houses like the ones built in Al Yazid, Dar Osman and Al Khat; Mud and Slate Houses (Ragav) with horizontal layers of stone tiles in Al Basta; and the thatched huts of the Tihamah coastal plain.
One of the most extraordinary villages in Asir is Habalah - sometimes called 'the Hanging Village' because of the precarious way it clings to the sheer cliff face of the valley wall. Habalah means 'rope' and its name is a reference to the fact that everything was only accessible via rope ladders and a pulley system. The village was settled about 300 years ago by members of the Khatani tribe who were fleeing the Ottomans. Despite the extreme location, the village was actually self-sufficent with fruit, vegetable and livestock all being raised on terraced plots of land.
It was inhabited until as late as 1400 (1980) and you can still see plenty of remains of the community - including the large iron buckets which were used to haul everything, including very surprised livestock, up (or down) to the village.
In the nearby area are plenty of facilities for a family outing (parks, amusements, restaurants etc) there is also a cable car which is open daily through the summer months and provides a breathtaking view of the village from the air.
Al Basta is a small area of Abha at the opposite end of the Ottoman Bridge from Adel Park. The mud and slate buildings (Ragav) are centerd on a square with a souq. The quarter’s proximity to the center of Abha means that is a suitable evening destination for families, who can also enjoy the nearby park.
Al Qabil Quarter is another small group of traditional buildings overlooking the center of Abha. Some are still in use.
The old quarter of Khamis Mushayt has beautiful examples of local buildings many of which have been restored and refurbished.
Beit Abu Milhah is a beautiful village with a distinctive, and pleasing local style.
Rijjal Al Ma’a is one of the most important cultural heritage attractions in Asir, having been developed as a museum and visitor attraction over the last 20 years by the local community. Altogether there are around 60 buildings, made in the traditional stone-built style of the Tihamah slopes. They wear their crenolation like crowns of snow and have distinctive white windows. Rijjal Al Ma'a is close to Jebel Sawdah, and can be tied in to a day visit with the cable cars and lunch or dinner at one of the many local restaurants. The houses
Qasabat Al Ous is a restored watch tower some 50 km from Haswa. The restoration work at the tower is exemplary, and was carried out by the team that also carries out historic building preservation work at Rijjal Al Ma’a. Although access into the tower is not possible, it remains an impressive sight.
Al Makatha traditional village. Al Makatha presents a fine example of a defensive settlement with few, well-guarded entrances. The mosque in Al Makatha has recently been restored and the local community has shown some interest in implementing a more substantive restoration programme across much of the settlement.
Al Jahmah Village is located to the south of Sarat Abidah, and contains around 50 buildings built predominantly from red stone. The village overlooks a small wadi with a series of agricultural terraces, some still used for grazing, providing an attractive setting. Behind the village is a small lava flow (harat) providing additional natural heritage interest. This is one of the best preserved of the abandoned traditional villages.
Al Khalaf traditional village is located several kms southwest of Al Jahmah, and consists of around 50 or so buildings in the ‘ragav’ (adobe with slate) style traditional to this part of Asir. The village is located in a small wadi and access is along a small lane. The combination of tall towers, icing cake rooftops and blue and aqua window detailing is particularly unique
Al Maqar Tourism Village in the An Namas Distric contains a museum (Qas’r Al Maqar), residential apartments, restaurants and a small zoo. Located close to the edge of the escarpment, al Maqar also offers scenic views and some hanging gardens overlooking the Tihamah. Adjacent is the site of a proposed cable car development, tourist accommodation and related tourist facilities. It's worth noting that this is a truly astonishing building - four stories high, with huge arches and domes.
The Al Asabelah Palaces are five buildings, some of which are reputed to date back 270 years and which were the home of the Al Asabelah family. Built in the traditional style of the region, one of the buildings has been converted into a museum deemed to be of considerable historical and cultural significance
Ros Shari Village 10 kms from An Namas contains a number white washed, unrestored, stone buildings |
|
|
