Refrigerated rooms in Abha?

A friend of ours, Judith LaRue, wrote us about the rooms sticking out on the side of the stone museum in Abha. Here is what she said about them:

Possibility #2 (and I think the most likely explanation): Many large, multi-story stone houses in Yemen had a "refrigeration room." This stuck out of a corner, usually very high up on the building (5th or 6th story or higher). It usually had a small window on each side. Ceramic jars of water were kept there for cooling. Cheese could also be kept cool there, and some fruits and vegetables could be kept longer, especially during the hottest months of the year. I actually went "inside" (well, it's really tiny and low, so you could say I sat on the edge of the door frame) a "refrigerator" on the 7th floor of a city house in mid-July in Yemen, and it was impressively chilly! I drank a glass of cool water from one of the ceramic jugs (and the communal drinking cup...). Many ancient, hot-climate cultures used thick ceramic vessels and shaded areas with good ventilation to create coolness. Alonda, you probably understand the "science" of this, but I'm pretty sure it's kinda' like the human body's sweating. Anyway, I don't know much about the climate of Abha, but consider the refrigerator idea...

Thanks, Judith!