Abha

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Province	Asir
Abha أبها
Image:Abha.jpg Looking at Abha from the mountains.
Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Government
- Prince	Khalid Al-Faisal
Area
- Water	0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation	2,200 m (7,217.8 ft)
Population (2004)
- City	201,912

For other uses, see Abha (disambiguation).

Abha (Arabic: أبها) is the capital of Asir province in Saudi Arabia, population 201,912 (2004 census). It is situated at 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) above sea level in the fertile mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia near the National Park of Asir. Its mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination for Saudis.

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==History==

Abha's homes are made of stone and mud and were built by hand. Some homes are over 300 years old and still inhabited. The slight graduation from one layer to the next gives these houses the overall impression of truncated pyramids. Foundations are usually stones. The houses are built in shelf-like, overlapping, vertical rows that act as rain guides, keeping the rain from saturating the walls and washing them away.

Abha has a well known marketplace, which is open daily. The market is always busy with activity and people moving about. The locals bargain for goods like: fruits, vegetables, and coffee beans among other items. Local specialty items like ornate silver Bedouin jewelry or hand-woven baskets are also available.

1 Geography
2 Tourism
3 Infrastructure
4 Hotels
5 External link

[edit] Geography

Abha is located in the Southern Region of Asir, it is highly elevated and it is home to the culminating point in Saudi Arabia, Jabal Al Sooda (the Black mountain) which stands at 3300 meters high. The area is subject to rain, sometimes heavy, some of its neighboring villages and rural areas are sometimes the witnesses of flash-floods during the winter. The fresh weather comparatively to the rest of the peninsula makes it an attraction point during the summer.

[edit] Tourism

The Governorate has been pushing Abha as the spearhead of a motion to promote national tourism. The Abha Festival has been created to that matter and it takes place during the summer. Many events are organized to attract visitors to discover the city and its surroundings, such as sporting events, shows, exhibitions and musical performances by famous Arabic poets and singers. (i.e: renowned artist Talal Maddah died on stage during a performance in Abha).

The city and its surroundings enjoy breathtaking landscapes and vistas and to that matter, many cable cars have been installed in the city and its surroundings to be able to visit and access some of these points.

[edit] Infrastructure

Abha is also the administrative capital of the Asir region, therefore home to the governorate of Asir. All Government departments are located there. Also there are extensive medical and educational facilities. King Khaled University and Prince Sultan College for Hotel Management are located in Abha. There is a regional airport in Abha that links it to a minimum of 4 cities with direct flights. Jeddah, Taif, Riyadh and Dammam. Al Watan, which is one of the main saudi daily newspapers has its head office and printing presses in Abha.

[edit] Hotels

Abha has extensive facilities to accommodate visitors. There are many hotels in town and also a lot of furnished apartments available for rent all year long.