Al-Atawilah Village

Al-Atawilah Village is a heritage village located in al-Bahah Province, southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the road connecting al-Bahah and Taif through the Sarawat Mountains of the Hejaz. It was a commercial and political center in the province, and the Rubu' Quraysh Market, which dates back hundreds of years, is held there. The village also contains many heritage buildings, such as al-Othman Fortress, Damas Fortress, and al-Mashyakha Fortress.

The village is situated on a group of hills between two valleys that flow into Wadi Baydah. These two valleys originate from a point five km south of al-Atawilah and flow northward. The hills east of al-Atawilah rise about one hundred m above the valley level, while the western hills rise 150 m above Wadi Quraysh. These hills have been the nucleus of life in the village for several centuries and include multi-story houses built of stone, as well as the old mosque and the village's main mosque.

The village is characterized by the interconnection of its houses through passages within the houses themselves, allowing visitors to walk through the village without having to exit it. The village was named Dhi Ayn due to its continuously flowing spring, which provides water throughout the year to irrigate its farms, known for growing bananas, lemons, basil, and pandanus. The village's series of houses ends with the mosque, which is located at the lower part of the village, positioned between the village itself and its surrounding farms.

Al-Atawilah Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in al-Bahah Province. It is located in al-Qara Governorate, in the heart of the heritage village of al-Atawilah. The mosque was built from irregular stones with a roof made of juniper tree trunks, supported by round wooden columns.

The mosque underwent restoration and rehabilitation as part of the Mohammed Bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques. It can accommodate about 130 worshippers within its total area of approximately three hundred m. The mosque consists of a prayer hall, an open courtyard ('Sawh'), an ablution area, a water tank, and an external staircase leading to the roof of the prayer hall, where the Muezzin climbs to call for prayer.