Rijal Almaa: Saudi Arabia’s 900-Year-Old "Gingerbread Village"

Fierce Independence and The Flower Men

Rijal Almaa carries a battle-hardened history of military resistance and deeply unique tribal traditions.

• Defeating Empires: Local mountain fighters famously utilized their stone towers and terrain to defeat massive Ottoman forces in 1826, and again a decade later.
• The Flower Men: Descendants of these fierce warriors from the Qahtani tribe proudly wear colorful wraparound skirts and adorn their heads with elaborate, fragrant wreaths made from fresh jasmine and marigolds.

...[ Continue to next page ] By: Amita Kalsi