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The road through history
Darb Zubaydah, the Kufa pilgrimage road, links Iraq to Makkah through the Northern Borders, Hail, Al-Qassim, Madinah and Makkah. It was a trade route before Islam. [1]
Muslim armies under Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas took it to Iraq in the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, and places along it later became major pilgrim stations. [1]
Engineering and name
Parts of the road were paved with stone and supplied with water sources, markers, beacons and stations; it runs about 1,400 km within the Kingdom. Its name comes from a spring in Makkah dug on the order of Zubaydah bint Ja'far, wife of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. [1]
Excavations at Fayd on the road revealed an elaborate network of wells, channels, pools and fortified palaces. [1]
Related topics
- RegionNorthern Borders RegionA northern Saudi region administered from Arar, including Rafha, Turaif and Al Uwayqilah, with histories of pilgrimage routes, pastoral activity, Tapline settlement and mining.
- RegionHail RegionA north-central Saudi region administered from Hail, associated with the Aja and Salma mountains, the Nafud desert, historical caravan routes and varied regional activities.
- RegionQassim RegionAn inland Najdi region administered from Buraydah, associated with trading towns, date cultivation and markets, and the geographical corridor of Wadi Al Rummah.
- RegionMadinah RegionA western Saudi region combining Madinah, Yanbu, AlUla and other governorates, with Islamic landmarks, oases, archaeological sites and a Red Sea coastline.
- RegionMakkah RegionA western Saudi region administered from Makkah, encompassing Jeddah, Taif and other governorates, where pilgrimage, maritime trade, coastal landscapes and uplands meet.