Habala, Saudi Arabia

Southwest of Abha in Saudi Arabia are high mountains with steep cliffs. Here, in this impenetrable wildness, lies the small, desolate village of Habala, or the Hanging Village. The houses were made in the rocks about 350 years ago, when the local people were fleeing from the invaders and from the raids of the neighboring tribes. The village was so camouflaged that it was not even noticeable and could only be reached by a rope ladder. That is where the name of the settlement comes from, habala loosely translated means "rope ladder". People here built terraces on the rock surface, on which they grew plants and bred sheep and goats. Locals buried the dead in rock holes, which they covered with stones.
Today, only parts of the terraces have survived, which remain fertile until now. The Habala settlement was inhabited until the 80s of the 20th century, when the inhabitants were moved to a place with more favorable conditions. Today, this extraordinary village can be reached by elevator, the first built in Saudi Arabia, and some of the buildings, now restored, can be seen in their authentic form.