Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
Shada Palace
HISTORIC BUILDING
(off King Khaled St; 9am-2pm Sat-Thu winter, 9am-6pm Sat-Thu summer)
Built in 1927 for a loc-
al Saudi governor, this palace is one of the few traditional buildings left in Abha. Its squat,
mud-walled tower provides an interesting counterpoint to the modern architecture that
now surrounds it.
Tuesday Market
SOUQ
(off King Khaled St; 6.30am-1pm & 4pm-6.30pm Sat-Thu, 8am-10.30am & 4pm-6.30pm Fri)
Abha's Tuesday
market is worth a visit. Although open daily, Tuesday is the busiest day. The market sells
locally made handicrafts such as coloured basket ware, traditional leather baby carriers
and clay ovens. There's also a gold souq and a gloriously scented herb, spice and incense
souq. Look out also for the women's kaftans embroidered with traditional Asiri patterns.
Prices start at SR150.
Asir National Park Abha
Visitors Centre
VISITOR CENTRE
( 4pm-11pm last week Jun-1st week Sep)
The national park's (
Click here
)
visitors centre contains
some interesting and informative panels on the park, a scale model and an upstairs view-
ing platform. The auditorium runs a 20-minute film about the park's construction.
Old Abha
HISTORIC SITE
There's sadly not much of Old Abha left, but the few good examples of traditional archi-
tecture are well worth seeking out. Some of the
best-preserved houses
lie southwest of the
Grand Mosque on the same square as the Town Hall, so you'll need to ask the police
guarding the building for permission to take photographs. There's another
well-preserved
facade
about 100m north of the intersection between King Faisal and King Fahd Sts.
Activities
