Saudi Arabia is well-known for its culture and heritage. The people of Taif, Saudi Arabia, work hard to preserve a century-old tradition of ‘Tasheer,' or gun dancing. Classic muzzle-loading rifles are meticulously trained in Saudi Arabia's west for the traditional "Taasheer" war dance, a stunning show of jumping and gunpowder blasts. Men and boys fill gunpowder barrels with guns set out in the bed of a truck before performing. Then, one by one, they stand at center stage to demonstrate their talents in the so-called fire dance.

On the sidelines of a grassy clearing lined with gazebo tents, dozens of spectators, including women and children, gather for the show. The performers dance to traditional music while barefoot and wearing the traditional thobe and ghutra headdresses against the background of mountains in the western province of Taif. They hop up and down, knees pressed together, as they swing the rifle, eventually reaching for the sky and firing at the land, ending in a blast of sparks and smoke under their feet.

The dance is now performed at weddings, celebrations, and other special occasions, and is thought to be a tribal tradition dating back hundreds of years.

"Taif's people have an age-old tradition of performing Taasheer dance and it is regarded as a must-attend event”, AFP spoke with Salman al-Tuweirgi, the owner of a coffee shop in Taif. He claims that the dance has been handed down from generation to generation, and it was first performed before the war to inspire warriors and threaten adversaries.

"It's an ancient war dance that we're keeping in this way," Tuweiri said. "Thank God, we're still keeping this tradition on, so it'll be around for years to come."

Young boys often participate in the dance, initially practicing with an empty gun until they are confident in their ability to handle the firearm.

As they become more capable of performing the dance, we raise the level of preparation. It's a traditional tradition and we train our children how to do it because they can teach their children in the future." Tuweiri said.