Saudi Gazette report Sarawat Mountains stand high in the skies of western Saudi Arabia drawing a magnificent image of rare natural beauty. The mountain range runs parallel to the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula, starting from the Jordan border in the north to the Gulf of Aden in the south. The northern half of the mountain range known as Sarat Hejaz does not rise above 2,100 meters while the Sarat Asir in the south is as high as 3,300 meters from sea level. To the southeast of the mountains lies the Empty Quarter Desert while Jazan and Farasan Islands are to the southwest. The 3,000-meter-high Sarawat Mountains with its junipers and oaks is a breath-taking view. Southern Saudi Arabia is home to a mix of cultures. A variety of folklore dances and traditional costumes are ample proof. Narrow roads winding through the mountains take locals to the many towns, villages and valleys dotting the region. At the end of one such mountain roads lies the Thee Ain village with its rows of houses made of granite stones. Heritage village The village is a 600-year-old habitation, about 20 kilometers to the southwest of Mikhwah, a city Al-Baha province. It was a settlement with about 40 houses and a mosque on the banks of a spring. Forts were built to defend the village against outside invasion. The village is a unique heritage site that includes old archaeological buildings, agricultural land, springs, distinctive cultural and natural landscapes, gardens and a visitor's center. In Thee Ain people still use plows to till their land where they grow various crops. They carve their hills to look like tiers of grass the same way their ancestors did. The village has 40,000 square meters of tiered grass. In addition to date palms, the villagers grow bananas, lemons, jasmine and basil. Typically, each farmer waits 12 days for his turn to collect water under strict rules imposed to regulate consumption. In the event of a dispute, which is rare, a council of village elders resolves it at their periodic meetings. The village derived its name, according to some local accounts, from an ever-flowing spring that runs in its south. Nobody knows the origin of the spring or when it appeared. But the first residents of the village relied heavily on it for drinking water and to irrigate their farms. The villagers eventually dug a canal to keep the water level even. A small waterfall, around a meter and a half high, adds to the charming beauty of the place. Houses There are buildings next to a mosque perched on top of a white mountain. Most of the houses are between two and seven stories and were built by the residents themselves. The villagers used camels to move stones from nearby plains to the construction sites. The houses were built in a marvelous architectural style with stones laid on top of stones and timber beams providing support to the stone structures. The ceilings were made of juniper wood while balconies were decorated with stones cut from quartz rocks. All the buildings in the village are still in use and residents have preserved their unique architectural style. The mosque is located strategically to allow farmers to perform prayers and get back to work. A large number of young men work as tourist guides for free to introduce visitors to their village, which is one of the hidden tourist spots in the country. Thee Ain is one of the heritage sites the Council of Ministers had given approval to be included on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Due to its historic importance, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has prepared a rehabilitation plan to develop this heritage village into an economic, tourism and cultural hub.
