Al Yanfa Heritage Villages

The Al Yanfa Heritage Villages are a group of old stone villages in the highlands of the Asir Region, near the city of Abha in south-western Saudi Arabia. They are examples of the traditional rural building that was common in the Sarawat mountains before modern construction spread.

The houses of these villages were built of carefully laid local stone. The buildings stand close together on slopes and rocky high ground, an arrangement that offered protection and left the land suitable for farming free. The houses usually rise several storeys. Around the villages are farming terraces that the inhabitants built on the slopes to grow grain and make use of the seasonal rains.

Visitors see narrow lanes, tall stone walls and wooden doors and windows. The residents have left many of these buildings for modern houses nearby, while heritage villages in the region have seen restoration and rehabilitation work. The Al Yanfa villages remain valuable as evidence of the skill of local builders and of the way of life of mountain farmers in Asir.