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Thee Ain Village: Architectural Masterpieces on the Brink of World Heritage Status

Thee Ain, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Thee Ain, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Thee Ain Village: Architectural Masterpieces on the Brink of World Heritage Status

Thee Ain, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Thee Ain, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Nestled in the highlands of Tihamah, the Saudi village of Thee Ain captivates with its unique characteristics and meticulously paved streets and alleys.
As visitors wander through, the village’s architectural history unfolds, revealing the legacy of its 49 pyramid-shaped palaces built by skilled artisans centuries ago.
These structures have become a focal point for researchers and heritage enthusiasts intrigued by traditional construction methods.
The village’s rich cultural and natural heritage is now eagerly awaiting its potential inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The Saudi Heritage Commission has worked diligently to prepare Thee Ain for this prestigious designation, transforming it into a tourist destination that attracts history enthusiasts and researchers.
The village’s geographical location adds to its historical and cultural significance, enhancing its appeal to visitors.
To fully grasp the beauty of Thee Ain’s structures, it’s essential to know they were built on a rocky hilltop 800 meters above sea level. Ancient builders carefully planned every detail, using early forms of “blueprints” to ensure that the buildings, some reaching up to four stories, fit perfectly with the available space.
Despite centuries of change and harsh weather, these buildings have remained sturdy and resilient. Today, they draw tourists from around the world, showcasing a rich architectural heritage that has evolved from a local gem to a global attraction.
Yahya Aref, a heritage expert and member of the Saudi Urban Heritage Association, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Thee Ain, spanning 15,354 square meters, was once called the “Marble Village” due to its rich marble deposits.
The village, built centuries ago, sits on a white cliff and features colorful, layered marble stones.
Aref explained that the village is designed in a pyramid-like shape with three levels. The top level includes forts for watching over farmland and providing protection. The central area houses the palaces, buildings, pathways, and a mosque.
He added that Thee Ain’s construction style is influential across the Arabian Peninsula.
Heritage buildings in the village start with a broad base that narrows by about 7 inches as it rises.
This design boosts the building’s durability. Additionally, small openings in the walls, which are wide inside, allowed residents to use sunlight to confuse and deter attackers.

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Dutch Art Sleuth Recovers Stolen Trove of UNESCO-listed Documents

This handout photograph obtained on July 8, 2025, courtesy of Arthur Brand shows Dutch art detective Arthur Brand posing with stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam on June 24, 2025. (Photo by ARTHUR BRAND / AFP)
This handout photograph obtained on July 8, 2025, courtesy of Arthur Brand shows Dutch art detective Arthur Brand posing with stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam on June 24, 2025. (Photo by ARTHUR BRAND / AFP)
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Dutch Art Sleuth Recovers Stolen Trove of UNESCO-listed Documents

This handout photograph obtained on July 8, 2025, courtesy of Arthur Brand shows Dutch art detective Arthur Brand posing with stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam on June 24, 2025. (Photo by ARTHUR BRAND / AFP)
This handout photograph obtained on July 8, 2025, courtesy of Arthur Brand shows Dutch art detective Arthur Brand posing with stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation Dutch East India Company (VOC), in Amsterdam on June 24, 2025. (Photo by ARTHUR BRAND / AFP)

A Dutch art sleuth has recovered a priceless trove of stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation.

Arthur Brand, nicknamed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for his high-profile recovery of stolen masterpieces, said the latest discovery was among his most significant.

"In my career, I have been able to return fantastic stolen art, from Picassos to a Van Gogh... yet this find is one of the highlights of my career," Brand told AFP.

Many of the documents recount the early days of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), whose globetrotting trading and military operations contributed to the Dutch "Golden Age", when the Netherlands was a global superpower.

The 17th century VOC documents contain a "fascinating glimpse into the events of that time in places like Europe, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Latin America," said Brand.

One document from 1602 recounts the first meeting of the VOC, during which its famous logo -- considered the world's first corporate logo -- was designed.

VOC merchants criss-crossed the globe, catapulting the Netherlands to a world trading power but also exploiting and oppressing the colonies it conquered.

The company was also a leading diplomatic power and one document relates a visit in 1700 by top VOC officials to the court of the Mughal emperor in India.

"Since the Netherlands was one of the most powerful players in the world at that time in terms of military, trade, shipping, and colonies, these documents are part of world history," said Brand.

UNESCO agrees, designating the VOC archives as part of its "Memory of the World" documentary heritage collection.

"The VOC archives make up the most complete and extensive source on early modern world history anywhere," says UNESCO on its website.

The trove also featured early ships logs from one of the world's most famous admirals, Michiel de Ruyter, whose exploits are studied in naval academies even today.

De Ruyter gained fame for his daring 1667 raid to attack the English fleet in the River Medway, one of the greatest humiliations in world naval history.

The ship's logs, written in his own hand, relate the admiral's first experience of naval warfare, the 1641 Battle of St Vincent against the Spanish fleet.

No less enthralling is the "who-dunnit" of how Brand came by the documents.

Brand received an email from someone who had stumbled across a box of seemingly ancient manuscripts while clearing out the attic of an incapacitated family member.

This family member occasionally lent money to a friend, who would leave something as collateral -- in this case the box of documents.

"I received some photos and couldn't believe my eyes. This was indeed an extraordinary treasure," Brand told AFP.

Brand investigated with Dutch police and concluded the documents had been stolen in 2015 from the vast National Archives in The Hague.

The main suspect -- an employee at the archives who had indeed left the box as collateral but never picked it up -- has since died.

Brand compared the theft to a daring heist by a curator at the British Museum, who spirited away some 1,800 objects, selling some of them on eBay.

The art detective said he spent many an evening sifting through the documents, transported back in time.

"Wars at sea, negotiations at imperial courts, distant journeys to barely explored regions, and knights," he told AFP.

"I felt like I had stepped into Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island."