Less than 10 kilometers to the west of the city of Abha lies Jebel Sawdah, the most iconic natural feature of Aseer Province. It is the highest place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sawdah is in the Sarawat Mountains, a range of cliffs that run along the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula from Jordan all the way to Yemen.
Moshebah Hills
The road leading to Jebel Sawdah from Abha runs through the hilly landscapes of Moshebah that break all stereotypes a person can have about Saudi Arabia. The landscape is all about mountains and greenery that are the total opposite of the sand dune landscapes, and instead reflect what can be found around the Mediterranean Sea.
Road to Sehab park (photo: Florent Egal)
The highest point of the area is Sehab park, at over 2900 meters, on the edge of the Sarawat Mountains. This park offers stunning viewpoints over both sides. To the west are the vertiginous cliffs of the Sarawat Mountains, and to the east the terraces that underline the beautiful Moshebah Hills.
View on Sarawat from Sehab park (photo: Florent Egal)
Jebel Sawdah
Jebel Sawdah is the highest point of Saudi Arabia but instead of a sharp peak like the Jebel Al-Lawz in Tabuk Province it is just a low hill lying on a plateau which is already over 2900 meters high.
Jebel Sawdah (photo: Florent Egal)
Unfortunately the top of Sawdah itself is a private area but the parking area at the bottom of the hill already offers breathtaking viewpoints on the impressively high cliffs of the Sarawat Moutains.
View from Jebel Sawdah park (photo: Florent Egal)
Weather
At such altitudes Moshebah and Sawdah are among the few places were snow can fall. The temperatures in winter are regularly below 5°C even during the day. Another weather feature to expect in this area is the fog that results from the rising hot and humid air coming from the Red Sea, resulting in condensation when it reaches the high lands of Sawdah and Moshebah.
How to visit Sawdah and Moshebah
Roads lead to both places but the one to Sehab park is more sinuous and steep so extra caution is advised when raining.
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Abha is the capital of Aseer Province and has the 6th largest population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is famous for being the highest large city of Saudi Arabia at over 2 200 meters, some parts of the city being even around 2 400 meters. With such an altitude it is not surprising that Abha benefits from milder climatic conditions that most the rest of the country with day temperatures ranging from 15°C to 35°C. What is more unexpected is that while the rest of the country has one rainy season in March and May, Aseer Province enjoys a second one in July and August thanks to the Indian monsoon that reaches the southwest of Saudi Arabia.
Abha on the edge of the majestic Sarawat Mountains (photo: Florent Egal)
History of Abha
Having been fertile for millennia, despite climate changes, and located to the north of the ancient Kingdoms of Sheeba and Himyar, within the territory named by the Romans 'Arabia Felix', which was crossed by caravans for more than a millennium, Abha and the Province of Aseer have a long history. Although there are no remains dating back to those times in Abha itself, some ancient carvings close to Habalah and the archeological site of Jerash just 30 kilometers away are testimonies of this rich past.
In 1918, the Prince of Asir, Yahya bin Hasun Al Ayde, grandson of Ibn Ayed, returned to his family throne and conquered Abha. In 1920, during his campaign to regain the control over Central Arabia, Abd Al-Aziz Al-Saud sent his warriors, known as Ikhwan, to occupy Aseer Province, a situation that was formalized in 1934 with the signing of the Treaty of Taif between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Aseer Province was still largely unknown by the west when Harry St John Philby explored it in 1932 but it was only finally no longer a blank spot on the map when he published his observations in 1952.
Places to visit in Abha
Abha Museums
Aseer Regional Museum
Located in the city center next to the Emira Palace that was built according to Aseer architectural tradition, Aseer Regional Museum tells the long history of Abha and Aseer Province and exhibits some of the province’s traditional handicrafts, along with antiquities of Aseer Province.
Aseer Regional Museum (photo: Florent Egal)
Al-Muftaha Museum
A few hundred meters from the Regional Museum is Al-Muftaha Village, a cultural center built according to the standards of Aseer traditional architecture. It hosts a hall of plastic arts and shops where the handcrafts are sold.
Al-Muftaha Village (photo: Florent Egal)
Shada Palace
Shada Palace was built in 1927 and was originally the headquarters of the Emira of Aseer Province. It is a brilliant example of the traditional architecture of south Arabia that is celebrated in the design of the new Emira Palace built just few meters away.
Renovation works started in 2017 to turn the Sheda Palace into a museum where old planting and household tools, coins, several manuscripts and photographs of life in Abha in the second half of last century will be displayed.
Sheda Palace (photo: Florent Egal)
Jebel Al-Akhdar - The Green Mountain
Located in the southern part of Abha, Jebel Akhdar is a green hill that is around 2340 meters high. It offers one of the best viewpoints over the whole city and its surrounding mountains, as far as the edge of the majestic Sarawat mountains.
Abha seen from the Green Mountain (photo: Florent Egal)
A road leads to the top of Jebel Akhdar (a small fee is collected at the bottom) where there is parking and a cafeteria to welcome visitors who have climbed to the top to admire the stunning view over Abha.
Al-Basta
Al-Basta district is one of the old villages that used to form what is today the large city of Abha. If some old parts of the city were replaced by the modern one, Al-Basta is still in good condition with its elegant and colorful traditional architecture and its small charming streets that lay along the Abha valley.
Next to Al-Basta district is the Ottoman bridge that connects the old village with a green park.
Al-Basta District (photo: Florent Egal)
Shamasan Fort
Ottomans occupied the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, as far as, Yemen from the beginning of the 16th century CE, including Abha. They built several landmarks of the city including a bridge at Al-Basta district and the Shamsan Fort that overlooks the northern part of Abha.
The fort is a 91 meter long and 25 meter wide rectangle with three towers as well as a gate on the southwestern wall. Many rooms and facilities open into the fort's interior courtyard.
Watchtower of Shamsan Fort (photo: Florent Egal)
Abha dam
With nearby mountains as high as 3000 meters Abha is exposed to possible flooding that is prevented nowadays by a 300 meter dam located on the west of the city. In addition to protecting the population the dam has generated a one kilometer long lake with unexpected and beautiful landscapes in Abha where the blue of the lake contrasts with the city and the green vegetation of the area.
Abha (photo: Florent Egal)
How to visit Abha
Abha is easily accessible either by road or by plane by. If you want to make the most of it we suggest you go with our guides who will also take you to more enchanting places around the city.
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