The Old Town Of Al Ula, Mud House, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Stock Image

Houses in the old Town were built around a high eminence away from valleys and floods. The lower floorsof the houses were built out of stones carried from the ancient site of Al Khuraybah, while the upper floors werebuilt out of mudbrick. The town was laid out so as to facilitate defense, houses were built adjacent to one another therebyforminga wall around the town.There were 1032 houses in the town separated by narrow lanes. Some of the houses were roofed thereby increasing the area available in the upper floors fordwellings. The town had 14 gates which were opened in the morning and closed in the evening, the local name for these gates was Aswar. Houses consisted of two floors. The first floor was used for reception and storage and the second and the second for living space.