Al Ula, Saudi Arabia
Coordinates: 26.616667, 37.916667
The Al-Mabiyat archeological site is one of the most important early Islamic sites in the northern part of Saudi Arabia and is south of Al-Ula city. It dates back to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods when it was known as Qarah.
It is one of the three remaining Islamic cities in the world.
It is located on the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Al-Ula governorate of Al-Madina province.
It is known as Deira (The town). Inside the town, there are ancient heritage buildings, mosques and markets, dating back to about 7 centuries.
This town is 22 Km away from Mada’in Saleh.
The site gained historical importance because Qarah flourished during the pre-Islamic period and became a famous commercial market. It achieved a high degree of growth and prosperity in the Islamic era.
The city was a main station on the Hajj route. It was renowned for being unique, as it combined different cultures, most importantly Egyptian, Iraqi and Syrian.
This gave it a special cultural character. Its birth pre-dates Islam but it prospered and flourished between 800 and 1100 CE.
It declined toward the end of the Abbasid caliphate, after the inhabitants of Syria stopped embarking on Hajj pilgrimage because of the Crusades.
In the surrounding hills, archeologists discovered pottery, glass and ceramic pieces, prompting Dr. Mashlih to describe the city as “an open air museum. It used to be an advanced industrial city, similar to Al Khobar today.”
