Al Qabil Village: An oasis of ancient palms and historic mud homes in Najran

Saudi Gazette

29-05-2025

Saudi Gazette report
NAJRAN — AlQabil Village in Najran embodies a vibrant story that highlights a rich history and culture. Its ancient palm trees embrace the sky, and its ancient mud houses express the essence of authenticity and ancient cultural identity.
The village, with its rich heritage, is centered around ancient wells that once formed the arteries of life in the village, starting from its eastern borders with the "Al-Hussain" farms and extending to the borders of "Al-Jarba Village" on the western side. It is bordered to the south by the "Al-Ukhdood" archaeological site and extending to the banks of "Najran Valley" on the northern side, thus weaving an artistic canvas that embodies the depth of history and the authenticity of the place.
The head of the Najran Society of Antiquities and History, Mohammed Al-Hatela, explained that the village of Al-Qabil is unique in its long history, as the construction of a number of its mud palaces dates back more than 350 years.
It contains more than 200 mud houses, varying in height and design, revealing the time periods in which they were built, and highlighting the beauty of the ancient architecture of the Najran region. In addition, there are ancient folded wells surrounded by ancient palm trees, which add a distinctive architectural beauty and elegance, and contributed to the classification of its villages as archaeological sites, the most famous of which is the village of 'Al-Lijam,' which is considered one of the 34 heritage villages in the Najran region.
Al-Hatela pointed out that the village of Al-Lijam is distinguished by its mud palaces, which date back hundreds of years. It contains more than 20 mud houses, varying in height and design between ancient and modern building styles. It also preserves a number of ancient houses, known as "Al-Duroob", towering with their historic domes on the banks of the Najran Valley, which enhance the urban identity and highlight the depth of the cultural heritage that abounds in the region and Saudi Arabia in general.
Mohammed Balharith, a resident of Al-Qabil village, emphasized the residents' pride in, and keenness to preserve and restore their mud houses, given their great historical value.
Balharith explained that the village of Al-Qabil embraces the famous architectural styles of mud buildings such as: 'Al-Murabba', 'Al-Mashulq', and 'Al-Muqaddam', which, along with the old palm farms, form a distinct identity, characterized by the diversity of their geometric shapes and different sizes.
He reviewed the borders of the old Thursday market and the wells and surrounding villages such as: 'Al-Jadidah' and 'Bayhan', as well as the names of the villages and their old wells in the village of Al-Qabil, including 'Umm Al-Zawiya', 'Bahjah', 'Al-Saruf', 'Raqeebah', 'Al-Zujaj', 'Saeeda' and other famous wells whose names carry historical connotations and are known to this day.