Dhee Ayn

Dhee Ayn stands on an outcrop of white marble rising out of a green valley below the Al-Bahah escarpment, and the contrast is what people come for: dark stone houses of several storeys, built with slate courses projecting from the walls to throw rain clear, packed onto a pale rock knoll with banana and palm gardens below fed by a spring that has run continuously, which is what the name refers to. The village is generally dated to around the four hundred years before the twentieth century and was inhabited until recent decades. It has been restored in part and opened to visitors, with a path up through the lanes and a viewpoint from the road.

History

The village was established in the tenth century AH and named for the water that flows from the nearby mountains; it has more than 40 houses of polished stone and a mosque beside the stream, and local legend tells of a man who followed the stream to recover a lost stick and found the spring (Wikipedia, Thee Ain).

The main sights

• The marble outcrop - the white rock the village is built on.
• Stone houses - the multi-storey buildings with projecting slate courses.
• The banana gardens - the spring-fed cultivation in the valley below.
• The lanes - the paths through the abandoned village.

When to go

October to April; the valley below the escarpment is hot in summer. Mornings and late afternoon give the best light on the white rock. The site keeps daytime hours with a ticket point.

Practical notes

The village is uninhabited and parts are unstable, with restricted access to some buildings. Restoration is partial. The road down the escarpment from Al-Bahah is steep with tight bends. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Al-Bahah lies above the escarpment; Al Mikhwah is on the plain.

Key facts