Laylā

Layla is a settlement of the al-Aflaj oasis country in southern Najd. Its old town contains closely spaced earthen houses, narrow lanes, mosques, towers and fortified residences. Courtyard houses opened inward, providing shade and privacy. The settlement developed on the site of an older village called an-Naqiyyah.

The name Layla is associated in local tradition with Layla al-Amiriyyah, beloved of the poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah. Their story belongs to the country of al-Aflaj: near al-Ghayl stands Mount al-Tawbad, whose cave is linked to the lovers. The inhabitants of Layla also held palm groves at al-Sayh, where families gathered during the summer date harvest in the surrounding country. The oases and their channels formed a connected landscape of farms and settlements across the plain.