The Jazan area is distinguished from other Saudi areas by its cultural and geographic diversity.
Every city or governorate in it has a certain accent and way of life that is different from the other, where coastal cities, islands and mountains each have a different pattern of culture and tradition.
This difference can be observed and followed from the Jazan coast in southern Saudi Arabia to its mountains where they still maintain the authenticity of their culture, whether it’s clothing, rose tiaras on their heads, or the jasmine necklaces on their chests.
Many in Jazan refuse to let go of their traditional clothing such as the Izaar [a form of kilt] of which there are two types in the area: A coastal one that is white and a mountainous one that is black. The colors are different due to the difference in terrains and the temperatures in the summer, a resident of the area told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Temperatures are colder in the mountains compared to the coast and it is rainier, making it green. It gathers water across the mountain and stores them in the soil, then discharges the water from the mountain tops and rooftops of houses to water tanks so that they can be used for crops, especially during dry seasons.
This diversity in the climate and terrains reflects on their way of life, including their cuisines that differ between the mountains and coast. Some of the residents of the mountain told Asharq Al-Awsat that their favorite meal was “Eish Wadam”, a plate of rice and meat, whereas residents of the coast listed seafood as their favorite.
The Jazan mountains are characterized by their crops, including coffee beans, thyme, wild fig, mango and wild basil among others. Bees live in rocks on the mountain tops, which has made residents of the mountain excellent mountain climbers where they climb to the top without any helping tools.
Residents of the coast, on the other hand, sail and fish. Despite these differences, there are many common features between the coasts and mountains.
In the administrative Jazan area, which has a population of 1.5 million, multiple local accents differ from one area to another, all mountainous and differ in how they pronounce Arabic words.
The residents, however, can understand each other, whereas it would be difficult for someone from outside the area to easily comprehend the way they speak.
Among these accents are al-Raith, Fifa, Bani Ghazi, Horoub, Bani Malek and Sala, all of which are Khawlani accents that trace their origin to al-Hamiriyya.
