Saudi Arabia: Thee Ain Heritage Village

Thee Ain Heritage Village is a restored 400+ year old hilltop settlement of 49 houses, climbing on top of each other. The architecture of traditional houses involves cement-free layering of flatly polished stones, square houses with square doors and windows. Saudi Arabia spent upwards of 15 million riyal to restore the beautiful village as a major tourist attraction, and the restoration is ongoing, you are still likely to have the whole village to explore freely all by yourself. The village lies on the Thee Ain River and is famous for its agricultural production of bananas and Kady flowers. The village has a mosque and defensive walls around it, making the whole settlement quite impenetrable given the geography and natural fortifications.