Al Bahah Province

Geobox|Province
country = Saudi Arabia
country_

name = Al-Bahah
native_name = الباحة


map_caption = Map of Saudi Arabia with Al-Bahah highlighted
capital = Al Bahah
population_as_of = 1999
population = 459200
area = 15000

Al-Bahah IPA2|ælˈbæːħa ( _ar. الباحة) is a province of Saudi Arabia. Al-Baḥah is located in the south of the country, near Mecca. It has an area of 15,000 km², and a population of 459,200 (1999). Its capital is Al Bahah. The al- Baḥah region includes al-Baḥah city and Baljorashi. Baljorashi has a famous traditional market known as "sooqe as-sabt", which translates to English as "Saturday market". The Baljorashi market is very old and its exact age is unknown. This market opens after the al-Fajer prayer, or around 5 A.M. local time. The market closes around noon. People come from all over the region to buy and sell handmade goods. Other cities in the al-Bahah region include Baljourashi, Almandaq, Rahwat Albar, Sabt Alalaya, a city by the Red Sea called Al Qunfunda. The al-Baḥah region is the home of two tribes, the Ghamid and the Zahran.

Etymology

The word "al-Baḥah" (or "Baḥah" without "al" which is equivalent to "the" in English) has many meanings; it means water and the maximum of it, the courtyard of a house, the high and abundant palm tree. In tales it refers to an extremely deep bottomless well in al-Zafir fortress. It means "open space", "water" and "abundant palm tree" and the "midline of a road".

Geography

Al-Baḥah is the name of the province as well the main city. The town is situated in the north-western part of Ghamed territory. The region is formed of mountains, plains, hills, valleys and desert stretches. The al-Baḥah region is situated in the south-west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between longitudes 41/42 E and latitudes 19/20 N. occupying a middle position among the beautiful tourist areas of the kingdom.The region has an area about 36,000 km².

Cities

The main city of Al-Baha Regon is Al-Baha as Capital.Then the other main cites are :1- Balgorashi2- Almandaq3- Almaqah4- Alaqeeq

Topography

The al-Baḥah region is divided by huge rocky steeps into two main sectors. To the west is a coastal plain, Tihama. East is the mountain range of al-Sarawat,known as al-Sarat, with an elevation of 1,500 to 2,450 m above see level.

Population

A genealogist has confirmed that the majority of the population of Al-Baḥah are descended from the Azad Shenou`a tribe which emigrated from the south of the Arabian peninsula following some historical natural events.

Al-Azad is an Arab tribe which divided into 24 tribes derived from four stocks: Azad Shenou`a, Azad Al Sarat, Azad Ghassan and Azad Aman. Al-Azad (or al-Assad the Lion) was the title given to Darda`e bin al-Ghot bin Nabt bin Malik bin Nassr al-Azad. Kaab bin al-Harith had seven children including Ghamed, who is Amr bin Abdullah bin Kaab. Zahran bin Kaab bin al-Harith had six children, including Abdullah bin Zahran who is the great grandfather of the Zahran tribe. The population of the region now is about 500,000. Many have moved to major metropolitan areas for better living and education.

Climate

The variation in topography influences the climate of the region. The al-Sarat area is exposed to the formation of clouds and fog, and this often happens in winter because of air masses coming from the Red Sea, accompanied by thunderstorms. In spring and summer the climate is mild and pleasant. The climate in the Tihama area is different from that in al-Sarat although they are separated by no more than 25 km. Tihama is an undulating coastal plain, hot in summer, warm in spring and mild in winter. The climate in general falls in the arid zone. Relative humidity varies between 52% and 67% with maximum temperatures of 23°C and minimum temperatures of 12°C.

Social structure

The social life of the inhabitants of the al-Baḥah region is based on just Sunni Islam, the roots of which go back to the year 10 AH, in addition to the well established Arab customs and tradition. Each tribe division or subdivision has its own head (sheikh).