Where is taif located

Reset your email password. Geographical location of the city of Taif. Geographical location of the city of Taif Taif Taif is a Saudi city located in the Makkah area west of Saudi Arabia on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains at an altitude of m above sea level, and the rise is increasing as we go to the west and south to reach m.

One of the Kings favorite pastimes was to visit nearby valleys and plains, where gazelles and other wildlife were in abundance. It was surrounded by the beauty of Taif that, on November 9, , King Abdul Aziz peacefully passed away. Numerous ruins and antiquities confirm Taifs colorful history which dates back to pre-Islamic times.

Some historians believe the valley was settled over 5, years ago. The Banu Mihlahil, a vanished tribe, once inhabited this area, as did the Amalekites and the Thamud, also now disappeared. Other tribes, such as the Banu Thaqif, have survived. This largely settled tribe of farmers inhabited the walled city and resisted invasion by other tribes.

They were wise traders, profiting from the caravans that passed through the region, selling them their produce and making protection and other services available to these travelers. Beginning in the s, Taif began to grow both in physical size and population. The citys limits spread to encompass several smaller hamlets.

Today more than , people make Taif their permanent home and thousands more visit over the summer months. Agriculture continues to be a major component of the local economy.

The tourism industry also provides thousands of jobs to local residents. They work to maintain the citys more than public gardens and parks, as well as in hotels and other facilities that cater to visitors.

Quarries and clay deposits are located south of the city and gold and iron deposits have been found in the vicinity. In the city handicrafts, pottery, woven rugs, coats, and rose oil are produced. Islamic History Taif embraced Islam in the ninth year of the Hijira.

It was amongst the first cities, after Madinah, to accept the word of the Prophet, peace be upon him. A mere 55 miles from Makkah, Taif was strongly influenced by Islam early on, losing many of its residents who migrated in order to propagate the faith throughout the Peninsula.

Taif, one of the Kingdoms main agricultural producers, supplied the residents and pilgrims in Makkah with fresh produce from its fertile fields. Strategically located, Taif was also a gateway to Makkah for pilgrims coming from the east across the peninsula, as well as being the summer residence of the wealthy merchant families of Makkah.

The Prophet Muhammad also spent time in Taif. In the early years of his mission, he realized that life was becoming difficult for his small community of Muslims in Makkah who met with opposition from the Prophets own tribe, the Quraish.

This tribe accumulated its wealth from the many pilgrims who came to Makkah to worship pagan gods. Thus, in AD, Muhammad went to Taif with the hope of converting the Banu Thaqif tribe to Islam and winning their support for his followers in Makkah. On this visit, Muhammad was unsuccessful. However, seeing him in distress, a slave named Addas kindly offered the Prophet a plate of grapes. After a brief conversation, Addas, a native of Nineveh, adopted Islam.

He was the first person in Taif to embrace the faith. A small mosque in the area bears his name and still stands today. The second and last time the Prophet was in Taif was in AD. During this time, a skirmish took place between Muslim and local tribes. The battle lasted 20 days and twelve Muslims were killed before their warriors withdrew. Nevertheless, the Prophet prayed to God to grant His blessings to the inhabitants of Taif and to guide them to the right path.

One year later, a six-member delegation of the Thaqif tribe came to Muhammad and announced their tribes adoption of Islam. The industrious tribes of Taif sold firewood, charcoal and timber from the forests of their region to the residents of Makkah. The Thaqif were also imaginative artisans, perfecting the art of curing sheepskins and cowhides to use for binding books and making other leather goods.

Evidence of its long devotion to Islam are the many mosques, both old and new, in the city. The mosque has been rebuilt several times, the last of which was during the Ottoman Empire. Its ruins are now an archaeological site. A graveyard near the mosque contains the remains of the twelve martyrs of the Prophets campaign in AD. Several fortresses were built there, but the city lost its stature as a seat of government and became more of a provincial outpost.

The remains of several forts still stand among the mountain tops of Taif overlooking the villages. These forts, built mostly from rock, stored supplies in their basements and had observation posts on the higher levels. Agriculture Agriculture has been the economic mainstay of Taif since its earliest days. Even in pre-Islamic times, the farmers of Taif employed very advanced irrigation methods, bringing water drawn from dams barring a large number of wadis and terraced fields on the mountain slopes.

Historically, the tribes of Taif grew wheat and barley and fruits including limes, apricots, oranges, olives, figs, peaches, pomegranates, watermelons, quince, grapes, almonds and dates. Daily caravans took this produce down the steep, winding mountain road to Makkah, fostering a trade on which the citizens of Taif thrived.

Taif, with its deep rooted history that dated back to thousands of years is famous for its gardens and good quality agricultural production on top of which are grapes, pomegranates and honey. Thousands of vacationers from the Kingdom and other Arab Gulf states spend the summer season in Taif resort to enjoy its green scenery and beautiful parks, the largest of which is King Fahd Park with a total area of square kilometers. Historically, Taif had always developed advanced irrigation systems.

Further, due to its mountainous location, Taif is rich in underground water reserves. Wells scattered throughout the city and its surrounding area tap extensive aquifers. Taif obtains additional water via a pipeline from the Al-Shuaiba desalination plant on the Red Sea. This plant produces some 40 million gallons of potable water each day, of which Taifs share is 15 million gallons.

In addition, its roses have been renowned for a millennium. The Archaeological Features in Taif Taif region is rich in archaeological sites that date back to pre-Islamic era. Pictures and writings found on a lot of monuments indicate their date and history. The most famous of these historical features was Souk market Okaz which played a distinguished role in the history of Arab poetry before Islam.

The Souk was a forum for poetry debate in one of the richest era in the history of Arab literature and culture. Taif also contains a number of historical palaces such as the Palace of Ismaiel, The Palace of Bahawat and The Palace of Shubra which were all built in the local construction style for which the western region of the Kingdom was famed. Taif is also a favorite summer destination for Saudis looking for the pleasant weather offered by the altitude while most of the Arabian Peninsula endures suffocating heat.

Taif's highest point, the Jebel Daka is even the fifth highest peak of Saudi Arabia. A cable car station starting at Al-Kurr water-park village leads to the the top of Al-Hada Mountain which includes a restaurant and hotel with a great view on the surrounding valley and massif. The ancient human presence in Taif is attested by rock art engraved in a site located at the eastern entrance of the modern city of Taif.

The strategic location of Taif at the crossroads of the Hejaz's trade and pilgrimage roads made of it a very disputed placed that saw many different rulers. This location on ancient travels route is still visible today along the 4 kilometers of the Kara ancient road.

It is divided into two parts, the first one for pedestrians and the second for the animals. About m of this Road have been restored and rehabilitated by Taif branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. At the crossing of those two routes was the famous market called Souq Okaz that still exists today. This famous pre-Islamic gathering place was a scene for annual social, political and commercial gatherings, but also the location of competitive recitation of poetry and prose.

Gates of the Souq Okaz photo: Florent Egal. The first famous conquest of the city took place in CE after Makkah and Tabuk were seized by Muslims armies. Therefore people of Taif accepted to destroy their idols and embraced Islam.

The prophet Muhamad was given a sanctuary in Wadi Mitna in a small house now used as a mosque. In order to keep control upon the area they built a fort near the Souq Okaz, at the crossing of the main travel routes. The city remained Ottoman until year when it was conquered by troops allied to the House of Saud that would afterwards seized Makkah and Madinah.

The same year the Swiss traveler and orientalist Johann Ludwig Burkhardt visited Taif just after its recapture by Muhammad Ali that he could even interview. Burckhardt left a precious testimony of the barely known Hejaz of the 19th century.