Spotlight: How Have Tough Desert Landscapes in Al Ula Been Unlocked To Enable Thriving Communities?
Presenter: Nouha Hansen
Delivered: London on July 28, 2024
In this afikra spotlight, Nouha Hansen examines how the tough desert landscapes of Al Ula have been transformed to support thriving communities. Focusing on the historical oasis of Al Ula, the talk explores how this settlement relied on its unique landscape and the ingenious Qanat system, a deep channeling method used to access underground aquifers.
Sources & Future References
Littmann, E. (1914). Inner Arabien. Leiden: E. J. Brill
Nassif, A. A. (1988). Al Ula: an historical and archeological survey with special reference to its irrigation system. Riyadh: King Saud University
The AlUla Archaeological Landscape Survey | Oxford Archaeology
The Qanat System: Ancient Technology for Sustainable Water Use | REVOLVE
Royal Commision for Al Ula (2022). “The History of Al Ula”. Exhibition
How to integrate ancient wisdom into sustainability projects | World Economic Forum
Note: All community presentations are prepared & presented by non-experts on the subject. They are sharing information in the hopes of spurring interest in that subject.
About afikra Community Presentations
Delivered and prepared by afikra community members, the presentation's goal is to showcase the presenter’s curiosity and research, and share some knowledge on a topic related to the Arab world’s histories and cultures. The presentation is the culmination of the afikra coaching process to help identify a topic, research it, and develop the presentation.
afikra presentations come in three forms: a long question-driven afikra Feature explaining why or how something happened or is happening, a medium-sized afikra Spotlight exploring who someone or what something is, and a short afikra FWD which purpose is to share something interesting.
