Shadah Al-asfal
Shadah Al-asfal Mountain is one of the Sarawat Mountains in southwestern Saudi Arabia and is considered one of the highest mountains in the Kingdom.
Name
Shadah in Arabic comes from singing. And it was mentioned in Mu'jam al-Buldan book as part of the two mountains, Sadah Al-asfal and Shadah Al-a'laa.Location and borders
Sadah Al-asfal and Shadah Al-a'laa is the name given to a mountain range located in Tihamah Al-Bahah near the city of Makhwah and Qilwah, at an altitude of more than 2200 meters. The range located among the low plains of Tihamah, it is bordered on the southern side by the Shadah Al-asfal Mountain, which reaches a height of more than 1,500 meters above sea level.Shadah Al-asfal Mountain is located in southwestern Saudi Arabia and is inhabited by the Zahran tribe, which owns Shadah Al-asfal Mountain, and the Ghamd tribe, which owns Shadah Al-a'laa Mountain. It is one of the mountains of the Al Bahah region, on which the villages of Shadah Al-asfal are located. Shadah Al-asfal Mountain is bordered on the east by Makhwah Governorate, on the west by the Qarama Mountains, on the south by Al Khuraig and Bani Shorafa, and the north by Shadah Al-a'laa and Nira Valley.
Natural characteristics
Shadah Al-asfal Mountain is characterized by the abundance of large granite rocks, especially those standing rock masses called Nadba, which are almost two hundred meters long. The mountain also has several dark plateaus and caves under the rocks.Dr. Ahmed Qashash, a researcher in archaeology, said: "Shadah Al-asfal Mountain and Shadah Al-a'laa Mountain, are composed of granite igneous rocks that have been uplifted and exposed since ancient times as a result of mountain-building earth movements, dating back to the Precambrian periods which is the earliest geologic age in the history of the earth's formation. The natural features of these two mountains include caves and caverns, formed by millions of years of erosion, others were formed by the infiltration of gases from the magma during crystallization into the outer part of the magma, leaving spherical, rectangular, or elliptical cavities in their place, they vary in size from rock to rock and are very abundant in these two mountains, especially the Shadah Al-asfal Mountain. Other caves are formed when huge boulders fall on top of other rocks, creating large cavernous spaces between them. These caves are fortified natural habitats that have been inhabited by humans since the first man, and remain an ideal home for the people of these two mountains."
Villages
Shadah Mountain is inhabited by approximately 4,000 inhabitants distributed among villages, some of which are located at the top of the mountain and others at the northern and western ends, These villages include:- Alro'os: It serves as the capital and is located at the top of the mountain. It is an agricultural land in which there were coffee, pomegranate, and banana plantations and some fruits and vegetables as well. Most of these crops have perished due to the lack of rain and the absence of dams to conserve water.
- Alfarea: Which is the second large village after Alro'os.
- Alashraaf: Located on top of the mountain.
- Rahban: Located west of Alro'os Village.
- Alnemra: Located west of Rahban.
- Altwaref: South to Alnemra.
- Aldahna: Located to the southwest of Alro'os Village.
- Tha'lab: Located to the north of Alro'os Village.
- Alasaha: West of Tha'lab.
- Altaraf: Located in the north part of the mountain, close to its foothill.
- Hazah: It is located in a deep chasm to the southeast of the village of Altaraf and its inhabitants are Bani Umar Tribe.
- Adad: Located at the mountains' foothill to the south.
- Alroos: At the top of the mountain, southwest of Alro'os.
- Alshefa: It is located at the top of the mountain overlooking Tihamah.
- Alaradia: Located on the east of Alashraaf, on the road leading to Alshefa.