Saudi Gazette report
ABHA — Al-Daqal Citadel, one in all Abha’s most outstanding archaeological landmarks, has regained its place within the cultural highlight following a restoration venture by the Heritage Fee of the Ministry of Tradition.
The venture reinforces the historic significance and architectural authenticity of the fortress, positioning it as a key cultural vacation spot within the Asir area.
Situated within the northwestern a part of Abha, the fortress sits atop a mountain at roughly 2,342 meters above sea stage, giving it a strategic vantage level to supervise routes via the encompassing mountain ranges.
Researchers, together with Dr. Ghaithan Grace of King Khalid College, estimate the fortress was constructed over 110 years in the past in 1334 AH (circa 1916 CE).
The rescue and consolidation efforts included rebuilding the broken sections of the fortress with unique native stone, preserving its conventional design. Inside corridors and chambers have been cleaned and ready to obtain guests within the area’s wealthy heritage.
In his educational research The Fortifications of the Metropolis of Abha (2006), Dr. Mahfouz Al-Zahrani famous that the title “Al-Daqal” is derived from a classical Arabic phrase referring to elevation. It additionally alludes to the central mast of a sailboat, symbolizing the fortress’s commanding top.
Constructed on a rugged rocky basis, the fortress tailored conventional structure to its terrain, taking up an oblong structure measuring 43.6 meters in size and 16 meters in width, with a semi-circular northern façade.
The pure rock slopes on the northern and western sides have been integrated to strengthen the defensive fortifications.
The construction includes three major items: the command heart, troopers’ housing, and a service part.
A central vestibule divides the fortress into jap and western wings. Amongst its options is a big stone oven utilized by stationed forces to bake bread, with a gap two meters huge and a chimney rising 110 cm.
The fortress additionally features a sealed grain storage chamber, designed with stone insulation to guard in opposition to moisture and pests, in addition to a devoted area for making ready haneeth, a conventional dish emblematic of the Asir area’s culinary tradition.
Native craftsmen constructed the fortress utilizing granite, recognized for its erosion resistance, and juniper wooden for roofing, supplemented with clay, reeds (shohat), and Crimson Sea-imported plaster. Aesthetic and waterproof plaster layers have been added to the outside partitions.
The roofing approach concerned inserting juniper beams in parallel, masking them with reeds and a compacted mixture of mud and straw, making certain efficient insulation in opposition to rainfall.
The positioning is anticipated to open to the general public within the upcoming section of growth, additional enriching Abha’s cultural panorama and selling consciousness of the Asir area’s archaeological heritage.
