Signal fires once flamed atop Khawlan’s Al-Tiyal Mountains [Archives:2008/1158/Last Page]
May 26 2008
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Al-Tiyal Mountains are a horizontal ridge of seven mountains in the Khawlan tribal area located 30 kilometers east of Sana'a city. They are considered the second highest mountains in Yemen after Jabal Al-Nabi Shuaib Mountain located west of Sana'a.
Tiyal is the plural form of the adjective high, so Al-Tiyal Mountains means the high mountains.
Prior to the 1960s and before telecommunications, whenever there was a problem between one Khawlan tribe and another tribe, all Khawlani men had to be summoned to discuss possible solutions to the problem, including war.
Because telecommunications didn't exist in Yemen at that time, the best way to contact residents in the shortest possible time was to climb the highest mountain peak and light a large fire that could be seen from any district within the tribe's area.
“The area of our tribe is so vast, extending from Marib in the east to Sana'a in the west and from Dhamar to Nihm tribe, which marks the border of Al-Jawf governorate, so it was difficult to contact everyone within one day,” 65-year-old tribesman Mohammed Al-Jabali, recalled.
“Whenever we saw the fire flaming atop Al-Tiyal Mountains, everyone knew there was an emergency situation in the tribe and so the next day, they would head directly to Jihana, the center of the tribe, to discuss the situation.”
However, it wasn't so easy to reach the mountain peaks because they were so towering, slippery and difficult to climb. In order to climb them more easily, seven copper handles were affixed to the highest one.
Saleh A'awaj Saber, a villager living near the mountains, notes, “These mountains have been used since the time of Sheba. It's said that they are the ones who made the copper handles to be used to climb them.”
“The Al-Bakiri brothers and their forefathers are the only ones who can reach and light the fire on the highest mountain peak,” he added.
Those living near the mountains say the area of the highest peak is only 20 square meters and contains the tomb of a man named Khawlan, whom they say was the tribe's sheikh, so the tribe and the area was named for him. With pride in his own greatness, Khawlan requested his followers bury him standing on the peak of Al-Tiyal Mountains.
“When I was 13, I used to take sheep to pasture,” Saber recalls, “One day, my two friends and I decided to climb to the top of Al-Tiyal Mountains. When we arrived, we found the tomb there.”
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