Hejaz

Hejaz or Hijaz is a historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al-Bahah. It is thus known as the "Western Province", and it is bordered in the west by the Red Sea, in the north by Jordan and the Gulf of Suez, in the east by the Najd, and in the south by Yemen. Its largest city is Jeddah, which is the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, with Mecca and Medina, respectively, being the third- and fourth-largest cities in the country.

As the location of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, respectively the first and second holiest sites in Islam, the Hejaz is significant in the Arabo-Islamic historical and political landscape. The region is the most populated in Saudi Arabia, and Arabic is the predominant language, as in the rest of Saudi Arabia, with Hejazi Arabic being the most widely spoken dialect. Hejazis as a whole are of ethnically diverse origins,

Etymology

The name of the region is derived from a verb ḥajaza (), from the Arabic root ḥ-j-z (), meaning "to separate", and it is so called as it separates the land of the Najd in the east from the land of Tihāmah in the west.

History

thumb|The city of [[al-Ula in 2012. The city's archaeological district is in the foreground, with the Hejaz Mountains in the background.]]

According to Islamic tradition, this region is the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca, which is held to be founded by his believed ancestors Abraham, Ishmael, and Hagar. The area became part of his empire through the early Muslim conquests, and it formed part of successive caliphates, first the Rashidun Caliphate, followed by the Umayyad Caliphate, and finally the Abbasid Caliphate. The Ottoman Empire held partial control over the area; after its dissolution, an independent Kingdom of Hejaz existed briefly in 1925 before being conquered by the neighbouring Sultanate of Nejd, creating the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd. In September 1932, the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd joined the Saudi dominions of Al-Hasa and Qatif, creating the unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Apart from Mecca and Medina, other historical sites include Fadak, Khaybar, Taymah, and Wādī al-Qurā in Al-Ula.

Prehistoric and ancient times

One or possibly two megalithic dolmen have been found in Hejaz.

The Hejaz includes both the Mahd adh-Dhahab ("Cradle of the Gold") () and a water source, now dried out, that used to flow north east to the Persian Gulf via the Wādi Al-Rummah and Wādi Al-Bātin system. Archaeological research led by of Boston University and the University of Qassim indicates that the river system was active in 2500–3000 BCE.

According to Al-Masudi the northern part of Hejaz was a dependency of ancient Israel, and according to Butrus al-Bustani the Jews in Hejaz established a sovereign state. The German orientalist Ferdinand Wüstenfeld believed that the Jews established a state in northern Hejaz.

The rise of the oasis cities

The history of the Hejaz has often centred around its major oasis cities, especially Yathrib (Medina), Fadak, Khaybar, Taymah, and Al-Ula. These cities benefited from regular access to water, and became major trading cities as early as the Bronze Age, especially with the domestication of the dromedary camel that allowed for long-distance trade, and the rise of the incense trade that demanded the movement of incense, spices and other luxury goods into the Eastern Mediterranean from South Arabia, passing through the Hejaz along the way.

thumb|Colossal statue from al-Ula, it followed the standardized artistic sculpting of the Lihyanite kingdom, the original statue was painted with white

Lihyan/Dedan (5th century BCE — 1st century BCE)

The Kingdom of Lihyan ruled from the northwestern Hejaz, including its oasis cities like Tayma, down the western coast, up until a place somewhere in the region between Mecca and Medina. Their capital was at the city of Dedan, located in the Al-Ula oasis, after which the Dadanitic script is named.

Lihyan ultimately fell, but it is not known whether this was due to direct conquest by the Nabataean Kingdom. Either way, the Nabataeans went on to occupy the northwestern Hejazi territory, from the 1st century BCE, until their own annexation by the Roman Empire in the time of Trajan in 106 CE.

Thamud confederation (8th century BC — 5th century CE)

The Thamud are among the most notable of the Hejazi tribal confederations. They were based in the northwestern Hejaz with their center at Hegra. They are attested in texts from the eighth century BCE until the fifth century CE, in Mesopotamian, Classical, and Arabian sources. They are famously remembered in pre-Islamic poetry and the Quran. The Quran mentions them 26 times, as a polytheistic people destroyed by God for their rejection of the prophet Salih.

Ghassanid confederation (3rd century CE — 4th century CE)

Christian J. Robin's study of pre-Islamic epigraphy has suggested that between the third and fourth centuries CE, the Ghassanids were the main tribal confederation acting in the Hejaz, with a base that may have been stationed at Medina. The period of Ghassanid domination of this region ended when the Banu Ghassan migrated northwards, into the territory of Syria, which would remain their main base of operations until Islamic times.

Mudar confederation and the Jewish tribes of Arabia (5th century CE — 7th century CE)

After the Ghassanids migrated out of the Hejaz, the Mudar confederation became the main power actors in Western Arabia. They may have been subservient to the confederation of Ma'add (based in Central Arabia) and the Kingdom of Himyar (based in South Arabia). Their territory fell on the western coast of Arabia, from Himyar to the south, to the territory of the Ghassanids to the north who, on account of the Byzantines, had projected their power into the northwestern Hejaz in the sixth century, up to the territory of Palaestina Salutaris (formerly Arabia Petraea).

The most well-known tribe of Mudar, today, is the Quraysh, rulers of Mecca (after the Jurhum) and the care-takers of the Kaaba and its pilgrimage rites. Over the course of the sixth century, tradition describes Quraysh's aspirations for expanding their hegemony in Arabia, forming trade agreements with nearby superpowers while exerting their growing influence on nearby regions.

The 5th–7th centuries also saw the rise of the Jewish tribes of Arabia, whose locus of power was also positioned along the western coast. These tribes occupied a similar geographic space to Mudar, while remaining distinct ethno-religious entities. In Al-Ula, the transition to a Jewish settlement appears to have taken please in the fifth century, and it remained this way until the rise of Islamic Arabia. Early in the time of the career of Muhammad in Medina, in 622 CE, Muhammad brokered a treaty between the local Arab and Jewish tribes, which today is called the Constitution of Medina.

Era of Muhammad

As the land of Mecca and Ḥunayn. They involved both Makkan companions, such as Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Ubayda ibn al-Harith and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and Madani companions. The Hejaz fell under Muhammad's influence as he emerged victorious over his opponents, and was thus a part of his empire.

File:Place of Birth of Hazrat Muhammad SAW near Masjid ul Harram Makkah Mukarma - panoramio.jpg|Makkah Al Mukarramah Library near the Sacred Mosque. Because it is believed to be built on the spot where Amina bint Wahb gave birth to Muhammad, it is also known as Bayt al-Mawlid (House of the Birth).

File:Masjid e Nabawi Interior 2.jpg|Muhammad's Mosque in Medina, his place-of-residence after the Hijrah (Migration) from Mecca. Muhammad is buried underneath the Green Dome.

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History before Muhammad in Islamic tradition

Era of Abraham and Ishmael

According to Arab and Islamic sources, the civilization of Mecca started after Ibrāhīm (Abraham) brought his son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) and wife Hājar (Hagar) here, for the latter two to stay. The Adnanites were a tribal confederation of the Ishmaelite Arabs, who trace their lineage back to Ishmael son of the Islamic prophet and patriarch Abraham and his wife Hagar through Adnan, who originate from the Hejaz. Some people from the Yemeni tribe of Jurhum settled with them, and Isma'il reportedly married two women, one after divorcing another, at least one of them from this tribe, and helped his father to construct or re-construct the Ka'bah, which would have social, religious, political and historical implications for the site and region. and include Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. From the Period of Jāhiliyyah ('Ignorance') to the days of Muhammad, the often-warring Arab tribes would cease their hostilities during the time of Pilgrimage, and go on pilgrimage to Mecca, as inspired by Ibrahim. and the site is known for having structures carved into rocks, similar to Petra. Construction of the structures is credited to the people of Thamud. The location is also called Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ ("Cities of Saleh"), as it is speculated to be the city in which the Islamic prophet Saleh was sent to the people of Thamud. After the disappearance of Thamud from Mada'in Saleh, it came under the influence of other people, such as the Nabataeans, whose capital was Petra. Later, it would lie in a route used by Muslim Pilgrims going to Mecca.<gallery class="center" widths="150" heights="150">

File:Qasr al Farid.JPG|The rock-carved Qaṣr Al-Farīd at Al-Ḥijr (Hegra) or Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ ("Cities of Saleh")

File:Madaan-saleh.jpg|Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ

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Era of Shuaib

thumb|Maghayir [[Shuaib|Shu'ayb in Midian, or what is now Tabuk Province]]

The Midianites of the Bible lived in Hejaz. Shuaib, who is revered as a prophet by both Muslims and Druze, was from this community, who are also known as the Aṣḥāb al-Aykah ("Companions of the Wood"). The historical area of Midian roughly corresponds to what is now region of Tabuk. Also, the northern part of the Hejaz was part of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. In 1924, Ali bin Hussein succeeded as the King of Hejaz. Then Ibn Saud succeeded Hussein as the King of Hejaz and Nejd. Ibn Saud ruled the two as separate units, known as the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd from 1926 to 1932.

thumb|Kingdom of Hejaz (green) with the modern-day region of Hejaz

In modern Saudi Arabia

thumb|[[King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) campus in Jeddah at night]]

On 23 December 1925, after a series of wars between the Hashimites and Al Saud, Sharif Hussein surrendered to the Saudis, bringing both the Kingdom of Hejaz and the Sharifate of Mecca to an end. On 23 September 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were renamed as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This day is commemorated as the Saudi National Day.

Culture

Religion

The cultural setting of Hejaz is greatly influenced by that of Islam, especially as it contains its 2 holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. Moreover, the Quran is considered the constitution of Saudi Arabia, and the Sharia is the main legal source. In Saudi Arabia, Islam is not just adhered politically by the government but also it has a great influence on the people's culture and everyday life. The society is in general deeply religious, conservative, traditional, and family-oriented. Many attitudes and traditions are centuries-old, derived from Arab civilization and Islamic heritage.

File:Mina 2.JPG|The camp of Mina on the outskirts of Mecca, where Muslim pilgrims gather for the Hajj (Greater Pilgrimage). Masjid Al-Khayf is visible to the right.

File:Pilgrims must spend the time within a defined area on the plain of Arafat. - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg|Muslim pilgrims gathering at the plain of Mount Arafat

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Cuisine

Hejazi cuisine has mostly Arabian dishes like the rest of Saudi Arabia, Some dishes are native to the Hejaz, like Saleeg. Other Dishes were imported from other cultures through Saudis of different origins, like Mantu (), Yaghmush () and Ruz Bukhāri () from Central Asia, Burēk () and Šurēk and Kabab almīru () from Turkey and the Balkans, Mandi () and Mutabbag () from Yemen, Biryāni and Kābli () rice dishes from South Asia. Grilled meat dishes such as shawarma and kebab are well-known in Hejaz. The Hejazi dishes are known for their spice.

Geography

The region is located along the Red Sea Rift. It is also known for its darker, more volcanic sand. Depending on the previous definition, the Hejaz includes some of the mountains of the Sarat range, which topographically separate the Najd from Tehamah. Bdellium plants are also abundant in the Hejaz. Saudi Arabia, and in particular the Hejaz, is home to more than 2000 dormant volcanoes. Lava fields in the Hejaz, known locally by their Arabic name of ḥarrāt (, singular: ḥarrah ()), form one of Earth's largest alkali basalt regions, covering some , an area greater than the state of Missouri.

File:1قرية ذي عين.jpg|The village of Dhi 'Ain in Al-Bahah region

File:Sarawat Mountains, Baha Region, Saudi Arabia (15).jpg|Sarawat mountains in Al Bahah region

File:حقل تغطيه الثلوج بمنطقة تبوك.jpg|Snow in the Jabal Al-Lawz in Tabuk province

File:حرة خيبر.jpg|Harrat Khaybar, a volcanic field in Medina Province

File:Mada'in Saleh Al-Hijr Hegra (مدائن صالح) (8136618664).jpg|Desert in Hegra (Mada'in Salih)

File:جبل أحد.jpg|Mount Uhud in the area of Medina

File:Taif Mountains (8355942584).jpg|Mountains near At-Ta'if, 2012

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Cities

Al Bahah Region:

Al-Bāḥah

Medina:

Al-Madīnah Al-Munawwarah (Medina)
Yanbuʿ al-Baḥr (Yanbu)
Jiddah (Jeddah)

Tabuk Region:

Tabūk
Umluj

File:Albaha.JPG|Al-Bahah City, located above sea level

File:Old Jeddah (6).jpg|The old city of Jeddah on the coast of the Tihamah

File:Masjid Nabawi The Prophet's Mosque, Madina.jpg|Prophet's Mosque in Medina

File:Makkah Ramadhan 1447 H Tahun 2026.jpg|Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca

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Tourism

thumb|Beach promenade in [[Al Wajh|Al-Wajh]]

As a component of Saudi Vision 2030, a tourist destination with an area of is under development between the towns of Umluj () and Al-Wajh (), on the coast of the Red Sea. The project will involve "the development of 22 of the 90+ islands" that lie along the coast to create a "fully integrated luxury mixed-use destination", and will be "governed by laws on par with international standards".

Demographics

The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, Most people of Hejaz are Sunnis with a Shia minority in the cities of Medina, Mecca and Jeddah. Many consider themselves more cosmopolitan because Hejaz was for centuries a part of the great empires of Islam from the Umayyads to the Ottomans. People of Hejaz, who feel particularly connected to the holy places of Mecca and Medina, have probably the most strongly articulated identity of any regional grouping in Saudi Arabia.

Culture

Notable people

Salih of Thamud

Mecca

Pre–6th century CE

Qusai ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn An-Nadr ibn Kinanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn Adnan the descendant of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim ibn Azar ibn Nahor ibn Serug ibn Reu ibn Peleg ibn Eber ibn Shelakh, Chief of the Tribe of Quraysh, and an ancestor of Muhammad
Qusai's son Abd-al-Dar the father of Uthman the father of Abdul-Uzza the father of Barrah the maternal grandmother of Muhammad
Abd Manaf ibn Qusai, paternal ancestor of Muhammad
Abdul-Uzza, son of Qusai, and an ancestor of Barrah bint Abdul-Uzza
Hashim, son of Abd Manaf, paternal great-grandfather of Muhammad, and the progenitor of Banu Hashim in the tribe of Quraysh
Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim, paternal grandfather of Muhammad
Hubbah bint Hulail ibn Hubshiyyah ibn Salul ibn Kaʿb ibn Amr al-Khuzaʿi, wife of Qusai, and an ancestor of Muhammad
Atikah bint Murrah ibn Hilal ibn Falij ibn Dhakwan, wife of Abd Manaf, and an ancestor of Muhammad ibn Asad ibn Abdul-Uzza ibn Qusai, and other Meccan wives of Muhammad
Fatimah, sister of Ali al-Ridha
Abu Ali Muhammad al-Jawad ibn Ali al-Ridha

Since

Sharif Ali ibn Ajlan ibn Rumaithah ibn Muhammad, son-in-law and successor of Sultan Ahmad of Brunei, father of Sultan Sulaiman, and a descendant of Muhammad

Etymology

History

Prehistoric and ancient times

The rise of the oasis cities

Lihyan/Dedan (5th century BCE — 1st century BCE)

Thamud confederation (8th century BC — 5th century CE)

Ghassanid confederation (3rd century CE — 4th century CE)

Mudar confederation and the Jewish tribes of Arabia (5th century CE — 7th century CE)

Era of Muhammad

History before Muhammad in Islamic tradition

Era of Abraham and Ishmael

Era of Shuaib

In modern Saudi Arabia

Culture

Religion

Cuisine

Geography

Cities

Tourism

Demographics

Culture

Notable people

Mecca

Pre–6th century CE

Since

See also

Explanatory notes

References

Sources

Further reading

External links