https://arab.news/2y8kb
- Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of 萝莉视频鈥檚 most challenging landscapes
RIYADH: For centuries, the people of 萝莉视频鈥檚 Asir region have cultivated food on steep mountain slopes using stone terracing systems.
They began with the construction of stone retaining walls known locally as 鈥渢hamayil,鈥� the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Each individual wall, called 鈥渢humalah,鈥� is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height.
They serve as critical infrastructure for mountain agriculture by creating level growing surfaces on otherwise impossible terrain.
Each individual wall, called 鈥渢humalah,鈥� is anchored into bedrock and can rise two to six meters in height. (SPA)
鈥淭he thumalah represents a stone containment system designed to capture sloping mountain terrain,鈥� Ahmed Al-Bariqi, an architectural heritage researcher, said in an interview with the SPA. 鈥淎fter building the stone barrier, the enclosed space is filled with a mixture of clay, soil and rocks to create a flat, arable surface suitable for both farming and habitation.鈥�
Local builders adapted to their surroundings, often reinforcing these structures with juniper and sidr tree trunks, as well as massive stones to withstand the pressure of heavy seasonal rains.
Water management is equally sophisticated. The 鈥渕ughayyid鈥� regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields.
The 鈥渕ughayyid鈥� regulates irrigation and controls flooding by channeling water flow between terraced fields. (SPA)
鈥淎ncient builders displayed remarkable engineering precision in the mughayyid鈥檚 construction,鈥� Al-Bariqi has said in his book 鈥淎ntiquities and Heritage in Bariq Governorate.鈥�
He added: 鈥淪quare or elongated stones formed the base structure, while carefully polished flat stones were placed at the top, precisely leveled to allow water to flow at calculated rates between terraces.鈥�
Positioned at strategic elevations, the mughayyid retains optimal water volumes while preventing destructive flooding that could compromise the entire terrace system.
Terraces were reinforced by stone retaining walls known locally as 鈥渢hamayil.鈥� (SPA)
These terraces do more than support agriculture. According to Dr. Ghaithan bin Jurais of King Khalid University, they reflect a deep-rooted civilization in Asir dating back thousands of years.
鈥淭hese structures preserve soil resources, establish clear property boundaries between neighboring farms, and historically served as recognized markers of family and tribal land ownership,鈥� he said.
Together, the thumalah and mughayyid systems stand as a testament to early innovation sustaining life in one of 萝莉视频鈥檚 most challenging landscapes.