Incense Trade Route

The Incense Trade Route is a trade artery established by the caravans that passed from the south of the Arabian Peninsula between Makkah and Madinah, on to the Levant to the north and Al-Ahsa and Bahrain to the east. [1] In ancient times it was linked to the Lahij route and extended along the western coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to beyond the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Taif was part of it for its historic renown for roses. [1]

The name of the route goes back to the goods of trade that were carried along it, which were distinguished by the abundant and luxurious quantities of incense of renowned quality in those eras. [1]

The caravans set out from the coast of Yemen in two directions, one towards Najd and Iraq and the other heading north and then turning towards Palestine. [1] The route formed the caravan trade line that runs south from the coasts of Yemen on the Arabian Sea, passing through the Arabian Peninsula to the north of the Mediterranean and from there to Europe, carrying incense and spices. [2]

At the beginning of the fifth century CE the caravans took another route through the mountains known as "Darb As'ad Al-Kamil", running from Yemen through Najran as far as Tubalah. [1]

The Najran Region was counted an important link in the incense trade and a fixed route for caravans throughout the ages, and the road of Yadamah Governorate is still called "Al-Sabil" today. [1]

When Hashim ibn Abd Manaf secured the route through what was known as Ilaf, together with the agreement on its markets that went with it, the trade of Quraysh flourished through the winter and summer journeys. [1]

History has established the competition of empires for control of this route and its markets, given the need of the temples of the Persian, Roman and Egyptian empires for incense. [1]

Qaryat al-Faw lies on the old trade route known as the Najran–Gerrha road and holds more than 17 wells, and it was known as an important trading centre and a meeting place of trade caravans. [3] It remained the capital of the Kingdom of Kindah from the fourth century BCE until the early fourth century CE. [3]

Trade caravans set out from Al-Faw towards the regions of the Arabian Gulf, Mesopotamia, the Levant and the Hejaz [3], and it had close relations with the kingdoms of the south of the Arabian Peninsula, namely Saba, Ma'in, Qataban, Hadhramaut and Himyar. [4]

AlUla, by its position between the south of the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, was a main station on the Incense Trade Route, and it flourished as a commercial and cultural centre under the rule of the Nabataeans. [6]

The Hegra site lies 25 kilometres north-east of AlUla Governorate on the old trade route that linked the south of the Arabian Peninsula with its north [5], and it is a site at a meeting point of the civilisations of late antiquity on a trade route between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean world and Asia, and a witness to international caravan trade. [8]

The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2024 (1446 AH), bringing the number of registered Saudi sites to eight. [4]

Within a Saudi–Omani cultural partnership, "Bayt Al-Luban" was inaugurated in the Old Town of AlUla Governorate as part of the Incense Trade Route experience, and its journey begins in Wadi Dukah in the south of the Sultanate of Oman. [7]

The Land of Frankincense bears witness to this trade through the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah, the remains of the caravan oasis at Shisr/Wubar, and the two ports associated with it, Khor Rori and Al-Baleed, and the frankincense trade flourished in this region for many centuries. [9]

Q: What is the Incense Trade Route? A: A trade artery established by the caravans from the south of the Arabian Peninsula between Makkah and Madinah, on to the Levant to the north and Al-Ahsa and Bahrain to the east. [1]

Q: Why was the Incense Trade Route given this name? A: Because of the abundant and luxurious incense goods carried along it and their renowned quality in those eras. [1]

Q: What are the most prominent stations of the route within the Kingdom? A: Qaryat al-Faw, AlUla and the Hegra site, and Najran with Yadamah Governorate, whose road is still called "Al-Sabil" today. [1][3][6]

Q: When did the course of the route shift, and what is it called? A: At the beginning of the fifth century CE the caravans took another route through the mountains known as "Darb As'ad Al-Kamil". [1]

Q: Which sites associated with the route are inscribed on the World Heritage List? A: The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area in 2024 (1446 AH), and the Hegra site on the old trade route. [4][8]

The Incense Trade Route brings together an ancient trade artery that linked the south of the Arabian Peninsula with the markets of the Levant, Iraq and the Gulf, and archaeological stations that stand to this day, foremost among them Qaryat al-Faw, AlUla and Hegra. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reviving this legacy through cultural and tourism projects, most notably the Incense Trade Route experience in the Old Town of AlUla. [1][4][6][7] Related topics on the platform include Darb Zubaydah, Al-Ahsa Oasis, Taif City and the history of Al-Hijr.