Abha (, ') is the capital of

Asir Province Asir, officially the Aseer Province, is a province of Saudi Arabia in southern Arabia. It has an area of , and an estimated population of 2,024,285 (in 2022). Asir is bounded by the Mecca Province to the north and west, al-Bahah Province to the ...

in Saudi Arabia. It is situated above sea level in the fertile

Asir Mountains The Asir Mountains (, '; (' Difficult')) is a mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia running parallel to the Red Sea. It comprises areas in the Asir Province, but generally, it also includes areas near the border with Yemen. The mount ...

of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha's mild climate makes it a popular

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...

for Saudis. Saudis also call the city the Bride of Mountain due to its position above the sea.

History

Abha was the capital city for the Prince of Asir Ibn Ayde under the authority of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1918, the Prince of Asir, Yahya bin Hasun Al Ayde, grandson of Ibn Ayed, returned to his family throne conquered in Abha with complete independence. In 1920, Asir was conquered by the

Ikhwan The Ikhwān (, ), commonly known as Ikhwān man Aṭāʿa Allah (, 'Brethren of those who obey God'), was a Wahhabism, Wahhabi religious militia made up of traditionally nomadic tribesmen which formed a significant military force of the ruler Ibn ...

tribesmen of Nejd loyal to

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

during the

Unification of Saudi Arabia The unification of Saudi Arabia was a military and political campaign in which the various tribes, sheikhdoms, city-states, emirates, and Monarchy, kingdoms of most of the central Arabian Peninsula were conquered by the House of Saud, or ''Al ...

. Abha has many historic places such as forts and other locations, thanks to the region's cultural heritage. Bani Shehr, Bani Amr, Bal-Ahmar, Bal-Asmar, Bal-Qarn, Shumran and some others all belong to "Al-Azd" and some extended families

Qahtan The Qahtanites (; ), also known as Banu Qahtan () or by their nickname ''al-Arab al-Ariba'' (), are the Arabs who originate from modern-day Yemen. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple Ancient South Arabian script, Ancient South Arabian ins ...

, Shahran which is belong to Hood.

Azd The Azd (Arabic: أَزْد), or Al-Azd (Arabic: ٱلْأَزْد), is an ancient Tribes of Arabia, Arabian tribe. The lands of Azd occupied an area west of Bisha and Al Bahah in what is today Saudi Arabia. Land of Azd Pre-Islamic Arabia Pre- ...

i tribes had migrated after "Marib Dam" collapsed for the third time in the third century AD. Al-Namas, Billasmar Region, Hawra Billasmar Center, Khaled, Eyaa Valley, Athneen Billasmar (which is the capital), Subuh Billahmar, Al-Nimas, Tanomah, Al-Majaredah place, Bal-Qarn Center, and Sabt Alalyaa place (Bishah, Wadi Bin Hashbaal) and some other known places that belong to the Asir Region. In 2015, a group of terrorists attacked a big mosque in Abha. Some of the people who were killed were police officers.

Transportation

A coastal road connecting

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

and Abha was completed in 1979. A SAPTCO bus station connects Abha to other destinations within Saudi Arabia.

Abha International Airport Abha International Airport (, ) is an airport in Abha, the capital of Asir Province in Saudi Arabia. The airport has services to several domestic airports within the Kingdom. It also offers international flights to Aden and Sanaa in Yemen, Cair ...

(, IATA: AHB ICAO: OEAB) is Abha's main airport. International connections are available to Yemen (Sana'a), Egypt (Cairo), Qatar (Doha) and the UAE (Dubai, Sharjah), as well as to other destinations within Saudi Arabia. Construction of Dutch-designed Abha Airport began in mid-1975, and flights began in 1977. Before construction of the airport, domestic flights were serviced by the military airport near

Khamis Mushait Khamis Mushayt or Khamis Mushait (, ' , locally: ) is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha, the provincial seat of the Asir Province from the national capital of Riyadh. It is the capital of the Shahran tribe in the Asir regi ...

by Ali Misfer Ibn Misfer, who was the founder of aviation in Abha in 1945.

Landmarks

The city of Abha is composed of four quarters, the largest of which contains a fortress. Hilltop fortresses are a characteristic feature of the city.

Shadda Palace Shadda Palace was the main ruling palace in Abha, Saudi Arabia. It was established around 1820. It has now been converted to a museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving cultu ...

, built in 1927, is now a museum displaying local handicrafts and household items. Other notable buildings in Abha include the Abha Great Mosque, the Al-Tahy restaurant, the Abha Palace Hotel, and the funpark next to Lake Sadd. The New Abha five-star hotel is a recent construction on the lake, southwest of the town. The head office and the main printing presses of '' Al Watan'', a major Saudi daily, are in Abha.

Culture

The Saudi government has promoted Abha as a tourist destination. The city hosts events to attract visitors to the city and its surroundings, including the summer Abha Festival, sporting events, shows, exhibitions, and musical performances poets and singers. The artist

Talal Maddah Talal Maddah (5 August 1940 – 11 August 2000; ) was a Saudis, Saudi Arabian musician and composer . He was named Maddah after his mother's family and was commonly nicknamed as "The Earth's Voice" (). He had a substantial influence over 20th ...

died on stage during one such performance in Abha.

Sport

Abha Club Abha Football Club () is a professional Saudi football club based in Abha that is currently playing in the Saudi First Division League, the second tier of Saudi football. They were first promoted to the top flight in 2005 when they finished a ...

is the city's biggest

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club, currently playing in the

Saudi First Division League The Saudi First Division League (), currently known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of professional football in Saudi Arabia. It ranks below the Saudi Pro League and above the Saudi Second Division League in the ...

, the second tier of Saudi football. Their home stadium is the 20000 capacity

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City, also referred to as Al-Mahalah Stadium, is a versatile stadium located in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Primarily used for football matches, it serves as the home ground for both Abha and Damac clubs. The stadium ha ...

Education

King Khalid University King Khalid University is a public university in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1998, the university came to being through the merger of the satellite campuses of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic Univ ...

is a public university in Abha. The University was established in 1998 by merging the Imam Muhammed bin Saud University of Islamic Studies and the King Saud University of the South. The total number of enrolled students is approximately 85,000.

Geography and climate

Abha is located in the southern region of

Asir Asir, officially the Aseer Province, is a province of Saudi Arabia in southern Arabia. It has an area of , and an estimated population of 2,024,285 (in 2022). Asir is bounded by the Mecca Province to the north and west, al-Bahah Province to the ...

at an elevation of about above sea level. Abha lies on the western edge of Mount Al-Hijaz, near

Jabal Sawda Jabal Soudah ( ', ) is a peak in the Soudah mountains in Saudi Arabia. Jabal Soudah is officially recognized by the Saudi authorities as the highest point in Saudi Arabia, with an elevation of . The village of Al-Soudah is located nearby. The ...

, the highest peak in Saudi Arabia. Treating the Asir Mountains as part of the Sarawat, the landscape is otherwise dominated by the

Sarawat Mountains The Sarawat Mountains (), also known as the Sarat in singular case, is a mountain range in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a broad sense, it runs parallel to the eastern coast of the Red Sea, and thus encompasses the mountains of ...

. Abha has a subtropical desert climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''BWh'') that is influenced by city's high elevation. However, the city shows weather trends that of a subtropical highland climate, apart from the lower than usual precipitation levels. The city's weather is generally mild throughout the year, becoming noticeably cooler during the "low-sun" season. Abha seldom sees temperatures rise above during the course of the year. The city averages of rainfall annually, with the bulk of the precipitation occurring between February and April, with a secondary minor wet season in July and August associated with the northward movement of the

Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ , or ICZ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the t ...

. Abha gets about 11 percent of its irrigation water from

rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a Rainwater tank, tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), Aquifer s ...

. The highest recorded temperature was on August 25, 1983, while the lowest recorded temperature was on December 29, 1983.

Gallery

File:Abha 12.jpg, Buildings with the '

in the background File:Abha 29.jpg,

Cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...

File:ABHA (6348527614).jpg File:مدينة ابها ليلاً 2013-06-08 17-17.jpg, Night drive File:سد أبها1W8796.jpg, Abha dam

Ecology

The Garf Raydah Protected Area is heavily colonized by

cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

olive trees The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa ...

, and

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

References

External links

* * * - PhD Thesis {{Authority control Qahtanites Populated places in 'Asir Province Provincial capitals of Saudi Arabia Cities in Saudi Arabia