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tree trunks are not straight but twisted and crooked, which gives the architecture
of the house a unique atmosphere. Thick branches are placed on the central
beam in the form of horns, side by side, without any particular rule or rhythm.
Once the roof surface is covered with thick branches, smaller, finer branches
are placed on top to fill the gaps. Over the roof formed in this way, long grass
is placed in tied bundles, overlapping each other. The smoke from the hearth
located in the house additionally chemically treats the roof and protects it
against pests. The height of the room in the middle is 200 to 230 cm, gradually
decreasing towards the perimeter to 140–160 cm.
The house consists of one oval-shaped room, measuring approximately 4
х 5 meters to 6 x 7 meters. In one corner, there is a reserved space for the hearth
measuring 100 x 150 cm to 150 x 200 cm. The hearth is separated from the
floor of the room by a small stone wall about 20 cm high. The floor of the
house is covered with fabrics. The house is entered through two doors placed
opposite each other; one door usually faces east and the other faces west. The
door is as high as the stone wall (120–150 cm) and no more than 100 cm wide.
Around the door are jambs made of hewn or scraped wood, which include a
solid threshold. Above the door is a lintel made of solid wood, slightly raised
in the middle compared to the supports to increase the height of the entrance
space. The door leaf is made of solid wood, usually metal-framed, with two to
three revolving hinges and a locking latch on the inside. In front of the main
door is an oval-shaped fenced yard; there is no such yard behind the auxiliary
door.
The house is divided into sections along customary lines. It is where food
is prepared, meals are eaten, and where people spend their day, sleep, raise
children, and receive guests. The area adjacent to the hearth is reserved for
guests, who must not cross the imaginary line marked by the hearth. In the
private section of the house, the wardrobe is kept, and family members sleep
and reside. Shoes are removed upon entering the home.

Traditional house of the Al-Gara Tribe

In one of the state buildings, there is a photograph taken at the beginning
of the 20th century, in which a member of the tribe is pictured in the Al-Gara
mountain range. The territory occupied by the tribe was divided into several
fiefdoms. In the photograph, the tribesman is barefoot, dressed in cloth, and
carries a sword, a shield, and a club used for stabbing and striking during
conflicts. In the background of the photograph, a part of a traditional house is
visible.
Based on this portion of the image, one can conclude that it is constructed
of unhewn stone up to a height of 150 cm, built using dry stone techniques and
filled with mud and straw. The hut has a calotte-shaped roof covered with
bundles of grass, interconnected by transverse rods to prevent them from
spreading. The hut is clearly circular in shape, and the roof is domed, which
reveals much about the foundations of traditional housing in this region.