Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (also called ''nagash'' painting or ''majlis'' painting), is a style of Arabic art, typically painted by women in the entrance to a home. It originated in the

'Asir Region The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

where the front parlour of traditional Arab homes typically contained wall paintings in the form of a

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

or fresco with geometric designs in bright colors. Called ''nagash'' in Arabic, the wall paintings are often considered a mark of pride.Yunis, Alia, "The Majlis Painters,"
Saudi Aramco World Magazine, July/August 2013, pages 24-31. In 2017 Al-Qatt Al-Asiri was inscribed on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's list of

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

Women’s artwork

Women in the Asir region are traditionally responsible for plastering and painting the walls, corridors, and ceilings of their homes. A family’s wealth is often signified by the skill, color, and complexity of the paintings, with poorer homes decorated in basic straight, simple lines in red, green, yellow, and brown. Women within the same neighborhood sometimes compete to make the most vivid and extravagant designs. Women's artwork is heavily influenced by their love for music, their view of culture and general perception of life; for example, the artwork of more conservative women is more likely to feature conservative and modest colors. The interior walls of the home are brightly painted, employing defined patterns of lines, triangles, squares, diagonals and tree-like patterns. The geometric designs and heavy lines seem to be adapted from the area’s textile and weaving patterns. Women from the region sometimes sell miniature '''Asiri'' houses as souvenirs and

bric-à-brac Bric-à-brac () or bric-a-brac (from French), first used in the Victorian era, around 1840, refers to lesser objets d'art forming collections of curios. The French phrase is now obsolete, dating from the 16th century, then meaning "at random, ...

, which are popular among Saudi city-dwellers, who find these colorful houses a source of wonder.

Airport art

The Saudi provincial airport in

Abha Abha ( ar, أَبْهَا, ') is the capital of 'Asir Region in Saudi Arabia, with a population of 1,093,705 as of 2021. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abh ...

reflects the region's cultural heritage. Airport Director Abdul Aziz Abu Harba said that "the seating arrangement at the airport lounge has been in the form of a traditional ''majlis'' and the walls are painted in various colors reflecting the natural beauty of Asir".

References

{{Portal, Saudi Arabia Arabic art Visual arts genres Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Interior design Islamic architectural elements Painting techniques Saudi Arabian art Saudi Arabian culture Murals Women and the arts Women in Saudi Arabia