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Carpentry in Al-Baha: A Craft that Combines Creativity and Heritage

The craft of carpentry has flourished in Al-Baha Region for decades, owing to the region’s diverse trees, including juniper, sweet acacia, sidr, patch and neem.

This has made Al-Baha a favorable environment for carpentry, a traditional craft that passes from one generation to the other.

Carpentry in Al-Baha: A Craft that Combines Creativity and Heritage

As a result, Al-Baha boasts a rich heritage of industries and handicrafts that are integral part of the region’s cultural identity and reflect the creativity of the region’s locals.

Al-Baha people are modernizing and developing carpentry to keep pace with present day’s challenges. Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Mohammed Al-Zahrani, a carpenter in his eighties, highlighted the significance of carpentry to the region’s residents.

Carpentry in Al-Baha: A Craft that Combines Creativity and Heritage

“Carpentry is a tough trade, as it requires a lot of effort and time. You start with bringing wood from sidr and sweet acacia trees spread in Al-Baha’s mountains and valleys. After that, you remove the outer bark and dry the wood. Then, the carpenter cuts and engraves the wood as per the customer’s demands and budget,” he said.

During his long career as a carpenter, Al-Zahrani engaged in engraving and decorating the roofs, windows and doors of old houses using traditional carpentry tools, at a cost of SAR 1,500 for each house. The work usually lasts for more than two months.

Al-Zahrani added that he hasn’t worked in carpentry for years, except to introduce his children and grandchildren to this Saudi traditional handicraft.

Carpentry in Al-Baha: A Craft that Combines Creativity and Heritage

Carpentry has featured during summer events in Al-Baha Region. Al-Zahrani participated in the Social Activity Center in the village of Wadi Al-Arja in Bani Hassan Governorate to showcase how Al-Baha people practiced this traditional craft in the past. For this purpose, he presented a display of wood engravings to show people the creativity of the ancestors.

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