JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s stunning Fayfa Mountains — rising more than 2,000 meters above sea level and also known as “The Neighbors of the Moon” — are an ideal tourist destination.
The road to the mountains rises above the clouds, with steep slopes that are a dream for hikers and lovers of adventure.
The mountains’ highest point is Al-Absiyya, which is surrounded by the valleys of Dhamd and Jawra from the north and the west.
From here, visitors can enjoy a beautiful panorama of almost all the mountains in the region, towering over green spaces and farms, as well as the amazing scent of flowers carried on the breeze.
Al-Sima’a is another of the region’s most famous sites, overlooking the neighboring valleys and mountains, and the towns of Jazan, Sabia and Abu Arish, as well as the Jazan Valley Dam and other attractions.
The region enjoys a mild climate all year round, and its inhabitants rely mainly on agriculture as a source of income.
The fertile land is perfect for growing cereals, fruits and aromatic plants and the agricultural terraces on the mountain sides are a magnificent sight. Fayfa is also renowned for its coffee. The local farmers follow traditional practices handed down from their ancestors, based on the astrological cycle, using relative location of the sun — and which “house” it is in — to plan the planting and harvesting of their crops.
Their cylindrical mountain homes are unique to this region of Saudi Arabia, and the local inhabitants used to give each house a nickname, by which the owners of the house would also be known.
Often, these names were related to specific events, or simply a descriptive term.
Fayfa’s residents also have their own unique dialect, which researchers believe originated from ancient literary Arabic, but was later influenced by the Himyarite language creating a vocabulary that is only used in this region.