Monday, October 13, 2014

Qasaba and towers, delving into Arabic semantics at Al Baha, Saudi Arabia



Familiar with these terms from homework on this green region of Saudi Arabia, I set out pursuing my curiosity. The area with a 1000 small towers called "Qasaba" in Arabic, left me clambering to click away at these, not- so- tall towers dotting the mountainscape, pursuing them hoping to find one on any main road so I could go closer and enter. 

In over 2 hours' rounds, I found one approachable. Clearly, they are shaped like a tower, four slanting walls, narrowing at the top; a lookout window of sorts, and a drainage system for the roof. A walk around showed no entry door into it at all! My mind raced, inquisitiveness piqued, imagining myself having a discussion about it a local Arabic elder in my broken Arabic sentences. Was fun.

Besides, while I did see several on mountain tops, many were at road level too. So that beats the watchtower concept.


I did read that it could have been a granary...then why the window, and how did they get stuff inside? Looking to friends and interested folks to add in any which way they can; ideally, inputs from Arabic elders would be great.

Thanks.

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