Rijal Almaa

Rijal Almaa sits in a valley below the Asir escarpment, and its buildings are unlike anything else in the country: tall towers of stone and clay, some six storeys high, packed tightly together with white quartz set into the walls in horizontal lines. It grew rich as a stop on the trade route between Yemen and the Hejaz. Inside, rooms are decorated with al-qatt al-asiri, a wall-painting tradition practised by women in bold geometric patterns of red, green, yellow and blue, which carries its own UNESCO intangible heritage listing. Several of the towers are open as a museum. The drive down from Abha is itself an event, dropping through cloud forest on a road of tight switchbacks with baboons at the laybys.

What you actually see

• The stone towers - six-storey stacked buildings with quartz lines in the walls.
• Al-qatt al-asiri painting - geometric wall painting inside the museum houses.
• The museum interiors - restored rooms with traditional furnishings and textiles.
• The Asir escarpment road - switchbacks and cloud forest on the descent from Abha.

When to go

The Asir highlands are mild year-round and are where Saudis go to escape summer heat, so June to August is busy and pleasant up top, though the valley below is warmer. Winter can be cold and misty on the escarpment.

Honest expectations

The village is small and a visit is a couple of hours; the drive is a large part of the day. Facilities are limited and English signage is thin. Asir is a conservative region and dress expectations are stricter than in Riyadh or Jeddah. The mountain road is spectacular and demanding, with steep gradients and fog.

Nearby

Abha and the Asir national park are above; the Red Sea coast at Jazan lies south.