2021-04-11

Rejal Alma’a

What do you know about Rejal Alma’a? 

The village of Rejal Alma’a is one of the most important heritage sites in the Kingdom and the most beautiful. The village rests in an isolated valley between the Sarawat Mountains; which, in the past, made it hard to reach. 

Many people throughout history have witnessed the resilience of the village against raids and invasions. The people of Rejal Alma’a kept their traditions and heritage alive by sharing the colorful history of the village. Since the village is located in a valley between the Sarawat Mountains; it has been characterized by beautiful vegetation. And, the village includes many buildings, some rise to 8 floors; all of them built of stones in a unique architectural style, and their windows are decorated with beautiful colors. 

Rejal Alma’a Museum
The Rejal Alma’a Museum was inaugurated by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, former governor of Aseer in 1986. The Museum is divided into 20 sections based on the distribution order of the contents. The contents are organized by order of use or its heritage relevance; such as a section for jewelry, weapons, folk medicine, and handicrafts. Also, the museum contains over 2,800 heritage pieces. 

Al-Qatt Al-Aseeri
It’s a pure formative art in which the women in the village have excelled at. The art form is registered on UNESCO’s World Intangible Heritage List. Many art professionals have felt inspired by this brilliant art that they’re preparing doctoral theses in the rare and delicate art of the Al-Qatt. 

The traditional  dress is still worn in conjunction with modern additions. The  males traditional clothing varies from one function to another. The most predominant parts are: the Thoob (a long, white article of clothing), the mujar, the blade, and holster. As for the women’s clothing; they wear the traditional Aseeri dress known as the jalabiya. And, many Saudi designers try to display this outfit with contemporary character in an effort to preserve our heritage.