AL BASTA DISTRICT
Discover traditional adobe houses illustrating the architectural specificities of the Asir province.
The road was being repaired at the time of our visit, in order to make the walk in the old district of Abha more pleasant. At the bend of recent buildings and in narrow streets hides one of the oldest districts of the city. Only a handful of traditional adobe houses and barns remain, but they perfectly reproduce the architectural specificities of the Asir province. The foundations and bases of the houses are made of stone, small blocks cut. The layers of a mixture of clay and straw are stacked like a mille-feuille. Between each layer, a wooden beam is placed, which allows the structure not to collapse on itself. Slate slabs are placed in plumb line with the façade. They act as an umbrella, preventing water from running down the walls and dissolving the earth. The roofs are flat and surrounded by a geometric frieze, usually whitewashed. Most of the houses are framed by a large square that served as a place of gathering and palaver. It is also where weddings and parties were celebrated. The stores of this district were installed along the river. A bridge from the Ottoman period spans the wadi and is one of the oldest architectural elements in the city. A small restaurant halfway to the museum welcomes visitors to the neighborhood. It has a beautiful terrace overlooking the wadi. Ancient objects and al-qatt paintings adorn the walls of this old house.
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