Shaar Castle is one of the most prominent historical landmarks in the Asir region, and an architectural landmark that embodies the art of ancient mountain construction and the methods of selecting defense sites in the southern highlands of the Kingdom.

The castle is located in an area known as “Sha'ar courtyard”, about 33 kilometers north of Abha, near the intersection of latitude (18/26) north and longitude (42/27) east, and was built on a semi-level area between (2400 and 2800) meters above sea level.

The castle was built on a semi-level area that rises between (2400 and 2800) meters above sea level.

The castle overlooks the Teh Valley on its western side and is surrounded on the eastern, northeastern and southeastern sides by a series of hills and branching valleys, giving the site a unique natural character and emphasizing the accuracy of its location as a point of supervision and monitoring that extends over large distances of mountains and plains.

Researcher suggests that the castle was chosen for its location. <Researcher Dr. Gaithan bin Jaris in his book "Abha. The Metropolis of Asir," published in 2009, suggests that the construction of the castle went through several historical stages that began in the late thirteenth century AH, and successive fortification and expansion works until the early fourteenth century AH, to become one of the most important castles of a defensive military nature, as it controlled the roads passing through Aqabat Shaar - formerly known as “Aqabat Teh” - and secured the communication routes between Saraya and Tihama.

Researcher Dr. Gaithan bin Jaris in his book “Abha.

<The castle consists of a group of adjacent stone buildings distributed according to a geometric design that takes into account the topography of the mountain, and includes watchtowers and spacious courtyards that were used for training, as well as internal rooms with narrow windows for observation and defense. Its walls were constructed of local stones mixed with lime clay, giving it a high durability that enabled it to withstand for decades.

Despite the damage done to the fortresses, the walls were built in a geometrically designed manner. Despite the effects of erosion and time, Sha'ar Castle still retains its historical splendor and architectural prestige, and is a destination for history lovers and those looking for archaeological sites in Asir.

<The Heritage Authority is currently implementing a comprehensive project to restore and rehabilitate the Sha'ar Castle archaeological site in Asir region, with the aim of preserving its historical and architectural value and highlighting its role in the local history of the region. The project includes careful restoration of damaged parts of the castle's buildings and stone towers, rehabilitation of corridors, internal courtyards and access paths, and improvements to infrastructure and services in accordance with the standards of preservation of archaeological sites, to ensure the sustainability of the site and its reception of visitors as befits its status.

Heritage Authority is currently implementing a comprehensive project to restore and rehabilitate the Sha'ar Castle archaeological site in the Asir region.

This project represents one of the main initiatives - within the Visitable Archaeological and Heritage Sites Care Program - implemented by the Heritage Authority to prepare sites of historical value to receive visitors and develop them in ways that take into account authenticity and meet the requirements of modern presentation.

These efforts contribute to enhancing the presence of national heritage in the cultural and tourism scene, and support the sustainable development of the region in protecting, developing and highlighting heritage as one of the components of the Kingdom's cultural identity.