Uyun AlJiwa Governorate

Uyun AlJiwa
Uyun AlJiwa Governorate
or Al Uyun
Governorate

Sakhrat Antarah historic site

Flag

Coat of arms
Uyun AlJiwa

Location of Uyun AlJiwa

Coordinates: 26°29′55″N 43°37′56″E / 26.49861°N 43.63222°E / 26.49861; 43.63222
Country  Saudi Arabia
Region Al-Qassim Region
Government
  المحافظ محمد بن عبدالله الحجاج
  Governor Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Hajjaj
Area
  Total 120 km2 (50 sq mi)
Population (2011)
  Total 26,544
  Density 221.2/km2 (573/sq mi)
Time zone AST (UTC+3)
Area code(s) 06
Website www.OyoonJiwa.com

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Uyun AlJiwa (Officially: Uyun AlJiwa Governorate | a.k.a. Al Uyun, Al Jiwa, and Oyounaljewa | Arabic: محافظة عيون الجواء) is a Saudi governorate that is located in northwestern Al-Qassim Region less than 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Buraydah, the province capital city. The name literally translates to The Valley's Ponds, and it derives from the water ponds which used to surround the area. It is most famous for the past societies which used to live in the area and its ancient historic sites. People of Al Jiwa are distinguished from other people in Al-Qassim Region by their unique accent.

History

Many historic as well as pre-historic societies have settled in the Al Jiwa land. One example is Banu Abs who gave birth to the famous knight, adventurer, lover, and poet, Antarah Bin Shaddad. Moreover, Al Jiwa contains many Thamudic patterns (e.g. Thamudic Petroglyphs). In recent history, many of the region inhabitants' forefathers were amongst who are called Al Oqilat, which was a group that traveled long distances to trade, work for money, and bring back merchandise. Others were farmers and worked either in harvest or raising livestock. They were known for their loyalty, honesty, and hard work. The name of Al Jiwa has been mentioned (on record) in both Islamic and Pre-Islamic-era Arabic poetry by famous poets such as Antarah Bin Shaddad, Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma, Imru' al-Qais, Kumait Ibn Zaid, and Hassan Bin Thabit. This not only proves that Al Jiwa long-time existed, but it also proves that it held a type of status in the past.

Geography

It is important to distinguish between Al Jiwa and Uyun AlJiwa:

Besides that, the governorate consist of 8 other towns such as Ghaf Al Jiwa (Also called Al Ghaf), Rawdh Al Jiwa (Also called Ar Rawdh), Authal, and Al Slubiya. The families living in these different towns have had-and still do share strong ties with each other.

Archaeological and historic sites

A photo of AlMargab watchtower. Taken in Al Jiwa, Saudi Arabia

Agriculture

Farmers grow and harvest many kinds of vegetable and fruit, such as dates, carrots, okra, and leeks, and they also raise livestock in Al Jiwa. Some bring what they harvest and raise to sell every Monday and Friday at Souq Al Athnain and Souq Al Jumaa, which are a types of weekly flea market in the region. There are many farms spread all around the governorate. Many of them belong to the older families of Al Jiwa, and some farms are hundreds of years old. For example, AlHitan Farms are very old farms that specialized in growing and harvesting palm trees.

Major facilities

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, September 23, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.