Najran Mud Houses

The Najran mud houses are traditional multi-storey dwellings found throughout the oasis of Najran in south-western Saudi Arabia, near the border with Yemen.

The houses are built of mud mixed with straw. The wall is raised in successive horizontal courses, each left to dry before the next is laid, so that clear horizontal lines show on the façade. The walls become narrower as they rise, and some houses reach many storeys. The ground floor is used for livestock and for storing grain and dates, with living quarters and reception rooms above. The windows are framed in white plaster and the tops of the walls are finished with decorative crenellations. The style resembles the mud architecture known in parts of neighbouring Yemen.

Visitors can see these houses in the old villages of the oasis. One of the best-known mud buildings in the city is the historic Emirate Palace. The houses reflect long local experience in building with materials from the surrounding environment in a way suited to a hot climate, and they are a central element in the cultural identity of Najran.