Najran heritage on display in Janadriyah

A model heritage village of Najran in Janadriyah is all set to welcome visitors keen on learning the region’s history and culture. It is located over an area of 10,000 square meters. Ali Sawadi, the supervisor of the Najran village project, explained that the idea of designing the village focused on giving the visitors a complete idea about Najran region, along with its heritage, buildings and lifestyles. Undersecretary of Najran region, Assistant to the Affairs Development Council and General Secretary of the region’s council, Ziad Bin Mohammed bin Ghadif, said that the idea of creating the Najran Heritage Village came at the direction of the Emir of the region due to his eagerness to make Najran prominent in Janadriyah and tell the story of its history and heritage. The Director of Public Relations and Media of Najran also pointed out that the preparations have been completed for the launch of the village of Najran heritage. He added that the antiques in the village will reflect what had prevailed in Najran since antiquity such as farming tools, weapons, household appliances, clothes and traditional crafts in the craft market as well as a band and folk arts gallery, poetry house and popular cuisine restaurants. The visitor of the Najran Heritage Village can view all items inside the village starting from the main gate of the village, which is symbolic of Najran. Then the visitor passes through buildings representing old architecture of Najran and the features of this architecture and its different forms and functions. One of the first buildings in Najran, known as the “Almashoulq” usually consists of two floors and is built from clay material mixed with straw material that gives durability to the building. The second type of buildings are known as “Almokadam,” which are usually built from Doreen only. There are also reflections of other types of buildings in the village known as “Aldarb,” which is an architectural masterpiece and consists of seven floors and is used by old families in Najran. The visitors of Janadriyah will also see the method that was used by farmers in old Najran in the season of wheat production to sell or use them as a food source. The heritage village also includes the House of Poetry and sites for popular arts, which will show Najrani artisans’ creativity in making antiques, furniture, daggers, and other utensils and pottery. The planners of the village were keen to locate a special place for each craftsman to display production in the village and to sell some of those products to visitors. These include Najrani crafts, such as, blacksmithing, carpentry, knitting, daggers, swords, and household utensils. The village will also include popular Najrani dishes, such as Alwafd, Ahumaish, Alrakech, ghee and honey. Source: Arab News