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.
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:MasjidNabawi.jpg|
Muhammad's Mosque in
Medina, his place-of-residence after the
Hijrah (Migration) from Mecca. Muhammad is buried underneath the
Green Dome.
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.
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.
Era of Saleh ") Saudi Arabia's and Hejaz's first
World Heritage Site that was recognized by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is that of
Al-Hijr. The name
Al-Ḥijr ("The Land of Stones" or "The Rocky Place") occurs in the
Qur'an, 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.
Subsequent history • '', c. 1540) Due to the presence of the two holy cities in the Hejaz, the region was ruled by numerous empires. The Hejaz was at the center of the
Rashidun Caliphate, in particular whilst its capital was Medina from 632 to 656
ACE. The region was then under the control of regional powers, such as
Egypt and the
Ottoman Empire, throughout much of its later history. After the Ottomans lost control of it, Hejaz became an independent state. Caliphates that directly ruled Hejaz: •
Rashidun Caliphate (632–661 CE) •
Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE) •
Abbasid Caliphate (750–967 CE) near
Tabuk, 1906Rule of the
Sharifs (semi-sovereign
Sharifate of Mecca) who ruled under the suzerainty of different caliphates and dynasties: • Abbasid Caliphate (967–969) •
Fatimid Caliphate (969–1171) • Abbasid Caliphate (1171–1517) •
Ayyubid Sultanate (1171–1250) •
Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517) •
Ottoman Caliphate (
Hejaz Vilayet) (1517–1803) •
Emirate of Diriyah (1803–1813) • Ottoman Caliphate (Hejaz Vilayet) (1813–1916) Modern History: •
Kingdom of Hejaz (1816–1925) • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1925–) ImageSize = width:900 height:180 PlotArea = width:790 height:90 left:90 bottom:20 Colors = id:blank value:gray(0.9) # id:rashidun value:teal # id:umayyad value:yelloworange # id:abbasid value:black # id:fatimid value: blue # id:ayyubid value: orange # id:mamluk value: skyblue # id:saudi value: green # id:ottoman value:pink # id:hashemite value:yellow # id:sharif value:tan1 # Period = from:500 till:2100 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:100 start:600 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:600 PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:10 width:11 mark:(line,black) bar:Caliphate from:632 till: 661 color:rashidun shift:(-30,10) text:
Rashidun from:661 till: 750 color:umayyad shift:(2,10) text:
Umayyads from:750 till: 969 color:abbasid shift:(2,10) text:
Abbasids from:969 till: 1171 color:fatimid shift:(2,10) text:
Fatimids from:1171 till: 1517 color:abbasid shift:(2,10) text:
Abbasids from:1517 till: 1916 color:ottoman shift:(2,10) text:
Ottomans bar: Ruling Dynasty from:632 till: 661 color:rashidun shift:(-20,10) text: from:661 till: 750 color:umayyad shift:(2,10) text: from:750 till: 969 color:abbasid shift:(2,10) text: from:969 till: 1171 color:fatimid shift:(2,10) text: from:1171 till: 1250 color:ayyubid shift:(2,10) text:
Ayyubids from:1250 till: 1517 color:mamluk shift:(2,-4) text:
Mamluks from:1517 till: 1803 color:ottoman shift:(2,-4) text:
Ottomans from:1803 till: 1813 color:saudi shift:(2,10) text:
Saudis from:1813 till: 1916 color:ottoman shift:(1,-4) text: Ottoman from:1916 till: 1925 color:hashemite shift:(2, 10) text:
Hashemites from:1916 till:2026 color:saudi shift:(2, -4) text:
Saudis bar: Direct Rulers from:632 till: 661 color:rashidun shift:(-20,10) text: from:661 till: 750 color:umayyad shift:(2,10) text: from:750 till: 969 color:abbasid shift:(2,10) text: from:967 till:1916 color:sharif shift:(2, -4) text:
Sharifs from:1916 till: 1925 color:hashemite shift:(2, 10) text:
Hashemites from:1916 till:2026 color:saudi shift:(2, -4) text:
Saudis Dates are approximate, consult particular articles for details. Brief independence After the end of the Ottoman suzerainty and control in Arabia, in 1916,
Hussein bin Ali became the leader of an independent State of Hejaz. 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.
In modern Saudi Arabia (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 ==