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| This province is made up of magnificent contrasts, with the fertile capital city and its mountain setting acting as a backdrop to the desolate landscape of The Sands. Day trips or caravans can be organized from hotels in Najran. |
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Najran has a colorful past, combining a desirable mixture of farm land, plentiful water, and a strategic location in the rugged mountains which rise to 2,000 meters above sea level and merge into the mountains of Asir.
The ancient settlement of Al-Ukhdood (whose ruins you can see in Wadi Najran) was famous as far away as Greece, with geographer Strabo describing it as the 'city of seven wells'.
In time the city was invaded by the Sabaeans, and later the Himyarites. Bi’r Hima, just north of Najran city, is an archaeologically significant area with a large concentration of rock art representing several thousand years of history.
Najran was an early convert to Islam. It was also part of the First Saudi State at the turn of the 19th Century, but was the last province to come under Saudi rule during the Third Saudi State.
Najran has always played host to the travelers using the fabled Frankincense Routes which extended from Southern Arabia to the 'fertile crescent' civilizations in the north.
A major historic feature is the restored Ibn Mahdi Palace, the historic Amarah of the modern Saudi State in the old city centre (Aba al Saud Historic Quarter) of Najran. There are some ruins of minor castles and fortified buildings in various places.
The main income for the area is from agriculture, trade, industry and government services - including border control. It's a big fruit producing area, and is particularly known for its juicy oranges, lemons and limes.
The flatter lands to the east of the capital, Najran city, provide grazing for the province. As the geography of the province rolls away from the mountains it gently becomes first the wheat belt, then grazing land for sheep and cattle, and finally the undulating sea of sand known as the Rub al-Khali Desert - the famous Empty Quarter. The trip from the oasis of Najran to The Sands provides some of the most varied and spectacular scenery in the world.
Major valleys start in the mountains and extend from west to east, opening into the Rub al-Khali. The most important valley is Wadi Najran where Najran City and extensive agricultural areas including orchards and date farms are situated. The valley is flanked by mountains of which the highest is the 1,450-meter Abu Hamadan. North of Wadi Najran is Wadi Hubuna where Hubuna town and various villages are located. The major portion of the province is occupied by Rub al-Khali including the protected area of ‘Uruq’ Bani Ma’arid in the northwest. Some parts of Rub al-Khali are occupied by longitudinal sand dunes known for their gigantic size.
Over time, Najran has developed a distinctive and fascinating style of its own. Even the high-rise, adobe style of the housing is unique. Handicrafts, folklore and dancing all thrive here as a natural part of daily life. From the henna'd hands of the women in the markets, to the coronets of flowers worn by the honey traders, Najran is a lively and interesting place to be. |
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"I was anxious to match myself against the Bedu on equal terms. They knew no world other than their own and accepted the hardships of their lives as a small price to pay for the freedom that was theirs" . Read more
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The people of Najran are eye-catching. Their bright, multicolored, sarong-like izars, topped by black embroidered jackets, are a colorful contrast to the desert-adapted plain white Saudi thawb Read more
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In Bir Hima there are some 300 different locations containing stone engravings and drawings, including prehistoric depictions of animals. You'll find engravings of human figures and giraffes which date from around 5500 BC Read more
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The name Al-Ukhdud means 'the ditch' (sometimes 'the trench', sometimes 'the groove') and is mentioned in the Holy Quran as the site of a massacre of Christians in 107BH (525) Read more
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Traditional adobe and brick architectural styles in Najran are called midmakh buildings. They are very distinctive and reflect the influence of Yemeni design in the Province Read more
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