Al-Bahah
Al-Bahah is a region in the south of Saudi Arabia near Asir. Most of its inhabitants are from the Ghamidi and Zahrani tribes, which trace their origin to the pre-Islamic state of Sheba. To the west is the Tihama coastal plain of the Red Sea, and to the east is the al-Sarawat mountain range, with an elevation of 1,500 to 2,450 metres above sea level.
Traditional stone ‘qasaba’ towers, usually situated on hilltops, probably served as watchtowers to protect villages and plantations from rival tribes.
The explorer St John Philby passed through Al-Bahah in his journey from Najd to Jeddah as documented in his book The Arabian Highlands, published in 1952.
