Al Bahah, Mountain city in Sarawat Range, Saudi Arabia.
Al Bahah is a city in the Al-Baha region of western Saudi Arabia and sits at an altitude of 2,155 meters in the Sarawat mountain range. Stone towers rise above the roofs of traditional residential quarters, while palm groves and forested slopes fill the surrounding valleys.
Until World War I the administrative center was located in the village of El-Zafir, before the administration moved to Baljurashi in 1925. The Saudi government established local structures at that time and created new connections between the mountain villages.
The emirate's place names come from classical Arabic and mark geographic features such as valleys or peaks in the mountain landscape. People from surrounding villages meet at the city's markets, where traders sell regional products from the valleys and exchange between communities remains active.
The city is accessible through an airport to the east that has been operating since 1982 and offers regional flights. Due to the altitude, travelers should plan time for acclimatization upon arrival, especially during cooler months.
The stone qasbah towers remain a subject of historical research, as their original function is unclear. Some researchers suspect they served as lookout posts, while others see them as granaries or residential structures with multiple purposes.
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