The moment a visitor or tourist crosses the gate of the visitor center at the "Archaeological Jarash" site in Ahad Rafidah governorate, Asir region, a special moment of awe unfolds; the quiet pathways, informational panels, and visual displays lead them on a journey that begins in the present but quickly opens onto deep historical layers telling the story of a city that was once a station for trade, pilgrimage, and cultural communication in southern Arabia.

The visitor center welcomes its guests through qualified cultural guides, both male and female, who accompany visitors from the very first moment in a cultural experience designed to be rich and engaging, with display methods varying between graphic panels, television films, models, and archaeological artifacts and collections, in addition to information provided by guides to answer visitors' questions and enhance their understanding of the site.

The visitor proceeds through the center across six consecutive informational stations, starting with an introduction to Ahad Rafidah governorate and its geography, then the history of the Archaeological Jarash site, which dates back to the first millennium BC; this station highlights that Jarash was a city of great importance that continued through the early Islamic centuries.

The stations then move to presenting a short television film introducing the archaeological site and the ancient city of Jarash, reviewing its history, civilization, and key components and archaeological discoveries.

Another visual presentation explains the cultural significance of Jarash, which occupied a strategic location on the Incense Route and the ancient trade route extending from northern to southern Arabia, making it a point of contact between local populations and passing caravans.

At the archaeological finds station, the visitor views a collection of discoveries found at the site, including metals, glass, pottery, and stone artifacts, with some pieces displayed in glass cases allowing close inspection.

Displayed information indicates that the inhabitants of Jarash utilized the abundance of rocks in their environment, using them as a primary material in building their city, as well as for making millstones, vessels, saddles, and household tools. Excavations have revealed glass tools in various colors, and notable development in metal industries, represented by coins, jewelry, nails, and metal vessels.

The station "Archaeological Discoveries in Jarash" takes the visitor on a panoramic tour using 360-degree technology, showcasing the most prominent discoveries at the site, including the fort, water structures, the two mosques, rock art, and ancient inscriptions.

Ongoing excavation work over more than three decades has revealed the foundations of two mosques dating to the early Islamic period, built over the foundations of a pre-Islamic fort.

During the 15th excavation season in 2023, an ancient water well built of stone and mud was uncovered, connected by stone channels that were used to distribute water to neighboring residential units, indicating the development of water management systems in the city.

Last April, the Heritage Commission concluded the 17th season of the excavation project at the Archaeological Jarash site. The excavation work during this season, according to the commission's statement, resulted in the discovery of residential units dating to two different time periods, with walls built using large dressed stones and mud mortar, representing an extension of what was uncovered in previous seasons, specifically east of the mosque previously discovered at the site. These units included rooms containing fine architectural elements, including small storage rooms for grain, clay cooking ovens, as well as basins and supports reflecting the prevailing local construction style of that era.

Through this season's work, the commission documented a stone stele with inscriptions in Kufic script on both faces, one of which dates to Thursday, the 17th of Ramadan, 311 AH, representing an important scientific addition to the historical significance of the site.

The archaeological discoveries included a number of stone tools, consisting of parts of pestles, grinders, and a collection of millstones of various sizes and shapes, in addition to parts of vessels made of plain and glazed pottery, others of glass, and vessels carved from soapstone.

The journey of the Jarash visitor does not stop at the archaeological evidence but extends to introducing the architectural heritage of the Asir region through a short film that reviews the difference between mountain architecture and mud architecture, and presents examples of heritage villages in the region, along with highlighting the distinctiveness of Asiri Qatt as one of the intangible heritage elements inscribed on the UNESCO list.

At the conclusion of the visit, the visitor learns about the handicrafts for which Jarash and the Asir region were famous, including leatherwork known as 'Adim Jarashi' (Jarashi leather), metal industries prominent in the manufacture of weapons, vessels, ornaments, and jewelry, in addition to pottery industries that locals relied on in their daily lives. Archaeological Jarash represents the remains of a tribal territory and successive civilizations in southern Arabia, which prevailed for centuries before vanishing, leaving evidence of consecutive historical transformations, and stands out as a civilized, agricultural, and industrial city with distinctive craftsmanship, known for its strength and fortification.

Today, the ruins of Jarash lie in the middle of Ahad Rafidah governorate, about 30 kilometers east of Abha, flanked by two mountains: Jabal Hammumah to the east and Jabal Shakar to the west.

Prominent at the site is a rock carving in high relief of a lion pouncing on a bull, with an inscription in Musnad script below it reading 'Thawrn na'man wa asadn malqa' (A gentle bull and a ferocious lion), dating to the first century AD, considered evidence of strength and fortification during that period.

Jarash was also known for its diverse industries, hosting tanneries, pottery kilns, and weapons workshops, including mangonels and catapults, as documented by historical sources that dedicated pages to discussing the site of Jarash and the work of its inhabitants.

The Jarash Visitor Center offers its full content in both Arabic and English, providing support services for visitors, including canopies and wheelchairs, contributing to an improved and more inclusive visiting experience.

With this integration between the archaeological site and the visitor center, Jarash transforms into a promising cultural and tourist destination in the Asir region, where the visitor encounters the story of an ancient civilization whose evidence remains present in the city's ruins and the finds of its center, affirming that Jarash was not just a stop on an ancient road, but a cultural center that left its mark on the history of southern Arabia.