Al Bahah Province

Al-Bahah (Arabic: الباحة‎ Al Bāḥa pronounced [ælˈbæːħa]) is a province o Saudi Arabie. Al-Bahah is locatit in the sooth o the kintra, near Mecca. It haes an aurie o 15,000 km², an a population o 459,200 (1999). Its caipital is Al Bahah. The al- Bahah region includes al-Bahah ceety an Baljorashi. Baljorashi haes a famous traditional mercat kent as sooqe as-sabt, which translates tae Scots as "Seturday mercat". The Baljorashi mercat is vera auld an its exact age is unkent. This mercat opens efter the Fajr prayer, or aroond 5 A.M. local time. The mercat closes aroond noon. Fowk come frae aw ower the region tae buy an sell handmade goods. Ither ceeties in the al-Bahah region include Baljourashi, Almandaq, Rahwat Albar, Sabt Alalaya, a ceety bi the Red Sea cried Al Qunfunda. The al-Bahah region is the hame o twa tribes, the Ghamid an the Zahran.

Cairt o Saudi Arabia wi Al-Bahah heichlichtit

Etymology

The wird al-Bahah (or Bahah athoot al which is equivalent tae "the" in Inglis an Scots) haes mony meanins; it means watter an the maximum o it, the courtyard o a hoose, the heich an abundant palm tree. In tales it refers tae an extremely deep bottomless well in al-Zafir fortress. It means "open space", "watter" an "abundant palm tree" an the "midline o a road".

Geography

Al-Bahah is the name o the province as well the main ceety. The toun is situatit in the north-wastren pairt o Ghamed territory. The region is formit o mountains, plains, hills, valleys an desert stretches. The al-Bahah region is situatit in the soothwast o the Kinrick o Saudi Arabie atween langitudes 41/42 E an latitudes 19/20 N. occupyin a middle poseetion amang the bonnie tourist auries o the kinrick. The region haes an aurie o aboot 36,000 km².

Cities

The main ceety o Al-Baha Region is Al Bahah as its caipital. Ither main ceetes are :

• Balgorashi
• Almandaq
• Almaqah
• Alaqeeq

Topography

The al-Bahah region is dividit bi huge rocky steeps intae twa main sectors. Tae the wast is a coastal plain, Tihama. East is the muntain range o al-Sarawat, kent as al-Sarat, wi an elevation o 1,500 tae 2,450 m abuin see level.

Population

A genealogist haes confirmit that the majority o the population o Al-Baḥah are descendit frae the Azad Shenou`a tribe which emigratit frae the sooth o the Arabie peninsulae follaein some historical naitural events.

Al-Azad is an Arab tribe which dividit intae 24 tribes derivit frae fower stocks: Azad Shenou`a, Azad Al Sarat, Azad Ghassan an Azad Aman. Al-Azad (or al-Assad "the Lion") wis the title gien tae Darda`e bin al-Ghot bin Nabt bin Malik bin Nassr al-Azad. Kaab bin al-Harith haed seiven childer, includin Ghamed, who is Amr bin Abdullah bin Kaab. Zahran bin Kaab bin al-Harith haed sax childer, includin Abdullah bin Zahran who is the great grandfaither o the Zahran tribe. The population o the region nou is aboot 500,000. Mony hae muivit tae major metropolitan auries for better livin an eddication.

Climate

The variation in topography influences the climate o the region. The al-Sarat aurie is exposed tae the formation o clouds an fog, an this aften happens in winter acause o air masses comin frae the Reid Sea, accompaniet bi thunderstorms. In ware an simmer the climate is mild an pleasant. The climate in the Tihama aurie is different frae that in al-Sarat awtho thay are separatit bi nae mair nor 25 km. Tihama is an undulatin coastal plain, het in simmer, warm in ware an mild in winter. The climate in general faws in the arid zone. Relative humidity varies atween 52% an 67% wi maximum temperaturs o 23 °C an minimum temperaturs o 12 °C.

Social structur

The social life o the indwallers o the al-Bahah region is based on Sunni Islam. In addition tae the well established Arab customs an tradeetion. Each tribe diveesion or subdiveesion haes its awn heid (sheikh).