Page 11 - Arabian Studies (V)

The identification of the Wadi

’1-Qura and the ancient Islamic site
of al-Mibyat

Abdullah A. Nasif

There are several ancient Islamic and pre-Islamic sites in North-
West Arabia, some identified, some not. The ancient pre-Islamic
sites which are known and have been the subject of the study are al-
‘Ula, Mada’in Salih, Tayma’, Tabuk, al-Bid‘ (Madyan) and to a
small degree Qurayyah. Among the Islamic towns which are still
unknown however, are Qurh, Dhu’l-Marwah, al-Suqya and Qura
‘Arabiyyah.
This is an attempt to identify Qurh which was the centre of Wadi
’1-Qura the region of major importance in N.W. Arabia.
It is evident from the Bible1 and from inscriptions that this area
was an important trading and cultural centre in North Arabia,
situated as it was on the trade route which links South Arabia with
Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean.
Arabic sources indicate that the Wadi ’1-Qura maintained its
trading position until medieval times although by then its sphere of
activity and influence had become localised and it was no longer
involved in world trade. After the fall of the Nabataeans there had
been a temporary decline as we can deduce from the name, Suq al-
Qurh which ranked with the other local Arab markets of the Ja-
hiliyyah.2 In respect of the medieval period, we learn from al-
Maqdisl, writing in 375/985 (when it seems that the area had reco­
vered):

Conducive to the trading activities of this region (Jazirat al-
*Arab), was the presence of two ports on the Red Sea Coast,
Jiddah and al-Jar, linking up the far eastern markets across the
Indian Ocean, with the markets of Egypt. And Wadi ’1-Qura was
the mart of Syria and Iraq.3
1