Rijal Alma village has become an increasingly popular attraction for visitors, tourists and archeologists. The area's people have turned it into one of the most magnificent cultural and archeological sites in the Kingdom, with local women having donated all their silver ornaments to the museum. The village was awarded the Prince Sultan Bin Salman Architectural Heritage Prize in 2006 for preserving its architectural heritage. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, is responsible for developing this cultural locality in addition to five other ancient villages in Madina, Riyadh and Al-Baha regions. The twenty sections of Rijal Alma museum were organized by the people themselves. The committee in charge of developing the village and its museum is conducting several studies seeking to develop the village and turn it into a heritage site, a popular market and an entertainment rest area. Following the completion of the cable car project in the Assouda area, the number of visitors and tourists from all over the world soared to 30,000 in 1998 and has been increasing ever since. Torshi Al-Sagheer, the 80-year-old tourist guide at the village, tells the story of the museum. “I suggested the idea of the museum to the people in order to preserve our heritage which started disappearing under the debris of dilapidated palaces whose owners had left them, and which had then been affected by natural erosion,” he said. People liked the idea and selected Al-Alwan Fortress, which dates back 400 years, he added. All antiquities were placed in the palace which was restored, to be later inaugurated by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the then-Emir of Asir Region, in 1986. SCTA President Prince Sultan Bin Salman said that this project will be implemented as a joint venture by eight ministries and cooperative societies owned by village residents. It will bring about a lot of benefits to the nation and locals alike, he added. __
