# The Northern Ḥeǧâz/Appendix 14

APPENDIX XIV
THE PILGRIM ROUTE FROM EGYPT
Aṭ-Ṭabari, Ta’rîḫ (De Goeje), Ser. 1, p. 2078, records a statement by Ibn Ishâk to the effect that there were two highroads leading from the Ḥeǧâz to Syria: the al-Muʻreḳa road along the seashore to Ajla, and the Tebûkijje road by way of the settlement of Tebûk.
The former highroad is perhaps identical with the later Egyptian Pilgrim Route from Ajla to al-Medîna and Mecca. From Ajla northward the al-Muʻreḳaa road probably led through the rift valley of al-ʻAraba. I infer this from the fact that the first army sent to Palestine under the leadership of ʻAmr ibn al-ʻÂṣ marched in the spring of 634 A. D. from Ajla through al-ʻAraba, rested for some time at al-Ramr (see Musil, Arabia Petraea, Vol. 2, Part 2, p. 201), and proceeded thence in a north-westerly direction to Gaza.
The at-Tebûkijje road leading by way of Tebûk was later transformed into the Pilgrim Route from Damascus to al-Medîna.
Al-Jaʻḳûbi, Buldân (De Goeje), p. 330, likewise mentions the al-Muʻreḳa road as proceeding from Palestine by way of al-Ramr to the harbor of Ajla and the settlement of Madjan, even though he does not give its name.
The position of the separate halting places situated on the roads from Syria, Palestine, or Egypt to al-Medîna can nowhere be determined with the help of the exact statement of distances. Computations in parasangs or miles are lacking, and in the case of daily marches we cannot decide whether the marches of transport caravans are meant or those of camel riders, as were the pilgrims. We may therefore suppose that these roads were never officially measured. From the time of the Omayyads there are no particulars of the lengths of the Syrian pilgrim routes, and the Abbassides completely neglected them.
Ibn Ḫordâḏbeh, Masâlik (De Goeje), p. 149, was acquainted with only one road which we can precisely identify: the one from Egypt to al-Medîna. It led from the harbor of Ajla to the oasis of Ḥaḳl (40 km.); to Madjan, or the modern al-Bedʻ (80 km.); and to al-Aṛarr.—The name of the latter stopping place has been changed by the copyists in various ​ways. It may be merely the watering place al-Ṛarr or al-Aṛarr in the valley of Šarma, about sixty-five kilometers southeast of al-Bedʻ (Madjan). The spelling al-Aʻar or al-Aṛarr, used by al-Jaʻḳûbi and Ḳodâma, would therefore be correct; not al-Aṛaz or al-Aʻara’. The small palm oasis of al-Ṛarr, or al-Aṛarr, is situated on the ar-Raṣîfijje road which proceeds from al-Bedʻ (Madjan) to the southeast. The next halting place is not mentioned by Ibn Ḫordâḏbeh. It must be located at the crossroads in the valley of aš-Šâr about fifty kilometers from al-Ṛarr, where, after abundant rains, much water collects and near which there are numerous springs in the adjacent mountain range of aš-Šâr. About fifty-five kilometers to the southeast of these crossroads, near the šeʻîb of Salûwa, flows the spring of al-Člêbe, which I identify with the halting place of al-Kulâba, as it is written by al-Muḳaddasi. The halting place of Šaṛab is situated on the same road about seventy kilometers from al-Člêbe; and Bada’ about sixty-five kilometers to the southeast of Šaṛab.
Al-Jaʻḳûbi, op. cit., p. 340, describes this road in much greater detail than Ibn Ḫordâḏbeh. He asserts that the city of Ajla was inhabited by people from various countries—among them being the alleged protégés of the Caliph Othman—and nearly all of these people carried on trade. An ancient cloak was exhibited there, supposed to have been the property of the Prophet.
At Ajla the pilgrims from Syria, Egypt, and northern Africa assembled (al-Iṣṭaḫri, Masâlik [De Goeje], p. 27; Ibn Ḥawḳal, Masâlik [De Goeje], p. 34) and marched through Šaraf al-Baʻl. The road to the latter halting place, which lies at a distance of about eighty kilometers from Ajla, led in a southerly direction along the seashore as far as Ḥaḳl (40 km.) and thence through the mountains southeast to the valley of al-Abjaẓ, in which are situated the ruins today known as aš-Šerâf.
At the next halting place of Madjan (al-Bedʻ) a different route was taken by the pilgrims proceeding to Mecca from that of those proceeding to al-Medîna only. The latter took the road described by Ibn Ḫordâḏbeh by way of al-Aṛarr to Kâles, as al-Jaʻḳûbi calls the next halting place, which was probably in the valley of aš-Šâr. Between Kâles and Šaṛab al-Jaʻḳûbi does not mention any halting place.
It is more difficult to define the exact direction of the coast road to Mecca. From Madjan it led to the inhabited halting place of ʻAjnûna, which has still preserved its name in the oasis fifty kilometers south of Madjan. The other halting places situated in our territory are: al-ʻAwnîd, aṣ-Ṣala’, an-Nabk, al-Ḳuṣejbe, al-Buḥra, al-Muṛajṯa, Ẓbe’, and al-Weǧh. The situation of Ẓbe’ is known for certain. This settlement is nearly one hundred and five kilometers distant from ʻAjnûna. Between these two halting places al-Jaʻḳûbi mentions six others, while between Ẓbe’ and al-Weǧh, the halting place 150 kilometers beyond Ẓbe’, he mentions not a single one. It is certain that something must be wrong with the text here. If we distribute the seven halting places between ʻAjnûna and al-Weǧh, we obtain seven marches of forty-five to fifty kilometers each, and this distance agrees with the length of the daily marches as calculated from the halting places to which al-Jaʻḳûbi refers. Ẓbe’ is then not the seventh but the second halting place from ʻAjnûna, but regarding the others al-Jaʻḳûbi gives us no clue as to where we should insert them.
​Ibn Roste, Aʻlâḳ (De Goeje), p. 183, mentions only the halting places on the Pilgrim Route to al-Medîna which are referred to by Ibn Ḫorḏbeh but says nothing about the coast route.
Ḳodâma (died 922), Ḫarâǧ (De Goeje), pp. 190 f., refers to both routes. On the road to al-Medîna he records the halting places given by Ibn Ḫordâḏbeh or al-Jaʻḳûbi. As the junction, however, he does not designate Madjan (al-Bedʻ) but inaccurately makes it Šaraf al-Baʻl. The conformation of the land does not allow the pilgrims to go from aš-Šerâf direct to al-Aṛarr and thus to avoid Madjan. From Madjan the Mecca road must have gone in a southerly direction to the coast. But neither Ḳodâma nor al-Muḳaddasi (Aḥsan [De Goeje], pp. 109 f.) refers to ʻAjnûna as a halting place, although it is impossible to suppose that the pilgrims or traders would have avoided it. Both of these writers, it is true, mention a halting place al-ʻAwnîd, not, however, before Ẓbe’, where al-Jaʻḳûbi places it, but beyond, where it actually lies. If we admit that the halting places of Madjan and ʻAjnûna are exactly indicated, we see that both Ḳodâma and al-Muḳaddasi insert the halting places of aṣ-Ṣala’ and an-Nabk between the latter and the halting place of Ẓbe’, which is likewise exactly indicated. But the distance from ʻAjnûna to Ẓbe’ does not admit of two halting places; it admits of one only, and that one somewhere about the present settlement of al-Mwêleḥ. The latter name meaning “little salty” is more recent in origin and was derived from the springs there containing somewhat salty water. Since the name of aṣ-Ṣala’ is still given to the coast to the north and islets west of al-Mwêleḥ, I locate the halting place of aṣ-Ṣala’ at al-Mwêleḥ. It is here located by the other Arabic writers, who define its position between ʻAjnûna and Ẓbe’. About fifty kilometers to the south of Ẓbe’, in Wâdi al-Aznam, are heaped the small ruins of the halting place al-ʻUwajnid, which was erroneously transcribed as al-ʻAwnîd by the copyists. The next halting place comes in the šeʻîb of Šaʻaf, where the halting place of an-Nabk was actually situated. Thus, in geographical order on the coast route to Mecca in our territory, lay the halting places of Madjan, ʻAjnûna, aṣ-Ṣala’, Ẓbe’, al-ʻWejned, and an-Nabk.
Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa, Ǧihân numa’ (Constantinople, 1145 A.H.), p. 541; Musawwadat ǧihân numa’ (Codex Vindobonensis 1282 [Mxt. 389]), fol. 179 v. f., writes that the Pilgrim Route from Egypt to Mecca passes through the halting place of Saṭḥ al-ʻAḳaba—i. e. a steep ascent (near Ajla). From there at a distance of one mile he says there is a walled-in spring with fresh water. At this halting place dwelt the Ḥwêṭât Arabs, who were engaged in cultivating the date palm. It is there that the first quarter of the Pilgrim Route terminates. The route then leads to two defiles containing fresh water and, ascending the stony slopes of Ẓahr Hemâr to Ǧurfejn, reaches Šaraf, which belongs to the Beni ʻAṭijje and where there is an abundance of fuel; the road then continues between two mountain ranges through the valley of al-Muṭallât, where the Beni Lâm dwell. The halting place of Moṛâra Šuʻejb is famous for its abundance of fresh water, its eṯel trees, and its muḳl and date palms. The following halting places of Ḳabr aṭ-Ṭawâši and ʻUjûn al-Ḳaṣab are in a richly irrigated valley, containing a growth of reeds, but very hot. Here many pilgrims die during the summer. On the shore stands a tomb set up by Abraham, which is reverenced by the pilgrims. Near the halting ​place of aš-Šerm and close by the sea rises Mount aš-Šâra. The halting place of al-Mwêleḥ is situated on the shore itself and has an abundance of water, which, however, is brackish. Dâr Ḳâjiṭbâj is so called after the sultan of the same name (al-Malik al-Ašraf Sejfaddîn Ḳâjiṭbâj, 1468—1496) who stayed there while on his pilgrimage. Previously the pilgrims used to encamp at a spot called Baṭn al-Kibrît. By a farther halting place is buried Sheikh Marzûḳ al-Kefâfi, to whose grave pilgrimages are made. At the halting place of Azlam terminates the second quarter of the Pilgrim Route. The surrounding neighborhood consists of waste land bordered by rocky mountains and containing salt water and inadequate pastures; but much senne grows there.—
The walled-in spring mentioned by Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa at the halting place of Ajla is situated in the gardens to the south of the present stronghold of al-ʻAḳaba. It is still called Ajla, as is the fountain near the stronghold. Ẓahr al-Ḥmâr is the name of a rocky elevation between the oases of Ḥaḳl and al-Ḥmejẓa. Ǧurfejn is identical with the šeʻîb of Umm Ǧurfejn, which begins at the hill of aš-Šaraf. The Beni ʻAṭijje or ʻAṭâwne still encamp east of aš-Šaraf. The pilgrims’ station was constructed at the spot where the šeʻîb of aš-Šerâf merges into Wâdi al-Abjaẓ. Thence the route led southward through the latter valley, here enclosed between high, gray and black mountains. Wâdi al-Abjaẓ is therefore identical with al-Muṭallât. Of the Beni Lâm only the Mesâʻîd clan have remained near this valley. The name of Ḳabr aṭ-Ṭawâši I did not hear in the region referred to, but, as is shown by the name and the distance, the pilgrims’ station was situated at al-Mrâḥ (quarters for the night). ʻUjûn al-Ḳaṣab are identical with the springs flowing among the thick reeds in Wâdi aš-Šarma on the al-Mellâḥ road, about eight kilometers east from the coast. I do not know the tomb set up by Abraham. Mount aš-Šâra is the name aš-Šâr badly transcribed. The word aš-Šerm denotes “the harbor,” and the place so called must therefore be located on the coast in the bay of aṣ-Ṣafra’. Al-Mwêleḥ is the modern settlement of the same name. Baṭn al-Kibrît, a sulphurous valley, is identical with the valley extending along the southern slope of Ṭwejjel al-Kibrît, the sulphur being deposited not only on these hillocks but also farther to the south on the hill of Ḥmêra’-l-Ḳrajḳer, where the remains of the home of Ḳâjiṭbâj must be located. The grave of Marzûḳ al-Kefâfi is identical with the modern Ḳabr aṭ-Ṭawâši at the end of the šeʻîb of al-Kfâfi and is hence identical also with the settlement of Ẓbe’. The halting place of Azlam is the ancient al-ʻWejned already mentioned.
Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa, Ǧihân numa’ (Constantinople, 1145 A. H.), p. 483, states that the stronghold of Ajla is situated on the shore of the Sea of Suez near Mount Ṭûr and that it belongs to Egypt. From Ajla it is two days’ journey to Madjan, which is also called Moṛâjer Šuʻejb, whence it is another three days’ journey to the stronghold of Azlam.—No reference is made to the road leading from Madjan to al-Medîna.
Šamsaddîn al-Bekri, Tuḥfa (Codex Vindobonensis, 925 [A. F. 283 or 457]), fol. 18 v., relates that the Egyptian Sultan Ḳânsûḥ al-Ṛawri (1501—1516 A. D.) ordered the restoration of the ascent at al-ʻAḳaba, as well as of the halting place of Ḥaḳl. At Ḥaḳl a ḫân (khan) was built with towers by the gateway, a complete ruin as early as the beginning of the seventeenth century. At al-Azlam there was also constructed ​a large khan in which the pilgrims deposited a portion of the food supplies intended for the return journey.
Jean de Thevenot (1656 A.D.) (Voyages, Vol. 1, p. 477) and Gabrielle Bremond (Viaggi [edit. by G. Corra], pp. 163 f.) writing in the middle of the seventeenth century, likewise record the halting places on the Pilgrim Route from Egypt to al-Medîna. These lead us from Saṭḥ al-ʻAḳaba to the modern Ḳalʻat al-ʻAḳaba, six and a half hours to the watch-tower of Ẓahr al-Ḥmâr (Ḥaḳl) and after another seven and a half hours through a difficult region to the halting place of Šarafe Beni ʻAṭijje. Bremond writes “Scharafè betùgateie,” and both Bremond and Thévenot give the distance from Dâr al-Ḥmâr (Ẓahr al-Ḥmâr) to the latter halting place as fourteen hours; this, however, is not accurate, fourteen hours being the whole distance from Ḳalʻat al-ʻAḳaba as far as aš-Šerâf. The road runs farther to Moṛâjer Šuʻejb, which formerly belonged to the tribe of Madjan and is over fourteen hours distant; to ʻUjûn al-Ḳaṣab (the oasis of Šarma), where Moses is said to have helped the daughters of Jethro; thence in fourteen hours to Ḳalʻat al-Mwêleḥ; and in eleven hours to Castel. The latter halting place must be identical with the modern Ẓbe’. From Castel it is fifteen and a half hours to Ḳalʻat al-Aznam; fourteen hours to Iṣṭabel ʻAntar; and a further thirteen and a half hours to Ḳalʻat al-Weǧh.
In 1694 ʻAbdalṛani an-Nâbulusi (Ḥaḳîḳa, Codex Vindobonensis, 1269 [Mxt. 712], Vol. 2, fol. 11 r.—16 v.) rode with his guides from the halting place of al-ʻAḳaba southward along the shore, so that he had the sea on his right hand and the mountains on his left as far as the palms and fresh-water springs of al-Ḥaḳl, where they arrived only just before noon. After a short rest, they ascended the slope of Ẓahr al-Ḥmâr and before sunset were in the šeʻîb of Umm al-Ǧurfejn, where there was no water and where they spent the night. Before noon on the next day they reached al-Ǧurfejn; whereupon they journeyed between high rocks of porphyry and marble as far as the halting place of aš-Šaraf, or as it is also called, Šarafe Beni ʻAṭijje. They found no water there. In the morning they proceeded as far as the last spurs of aš-Šaraf, where they had luncheon. At four o’clock they again set out on the march, passing by the halting place of ar-Riǧm and encamping before sunset at ʻEfâl. On the afternoon of the following day they reached the halting place of Moṛâjer Šuʻejb, which the Bedouins call al-Bedʻ and where from numerous fresh-water springs rises a stream which forms several ponds. On the next day ʻAbdalṛani’s party rode till sunset and encampet in the šeʻîb of aṣ-Ṣwêr until sunrise. Shortly before noon they were at the wells of al-Ḳaṣab, which unite to form a large stream, by the side of which many reeds grow. They rested there till nearly the middle of the afternoon. Late in the evening they found themselves in a trackless region, where they lost the way and remained till daybreak. Thereupon they rested in the valley of al-ʻOḏejb until the middle of the afternoon and at evening reached the fortress of al-Mwêleḥ, where they were again within sight of the sea. They found fresh-water springs there, and the fortress was permanently inhabited. Leaving the sea once again, by the middle of the afternoon they were at al-Muḳâwel, where they spent the night. They then passed through al-Ṛâl and Šuḳḳ al-ʻAǧûz, reaching the halting place of Ẓbe’, where there were springs of pure fresh water. In the morning ​they rode out of Ẓbe’ and after an hour passed by the grave of a virtuous merchant from northern Africa, whose name was Marzûḳ al-Kefâfi. He had fallen ill on his pilgrimage, had remained at Ẓbe’, where at his own expense he had ordered a well to be dug, and after a short while had died. About an hour after noon ʻAbdalṛani rested for a short time with his guides in the valley of al-Baḥara, and after sunset they encamped in the valley to the south of the stronghold of al-Azlam. At this, the sixteenth halting place on the Egyptian Pilgrim Route, about five Arabs were living. In the morning the pilgrims started off afresh, rested at noon in the mountain defile of ad-Duḫḫân near a fresh-water spring, and encamped for the night shortly before sunset by the river bed of aš-Šaʻaf.—
Ẓahr al-Ḥmâr must be identified with the spurs of aṭ-Ṭabaḳ and at-Tnejnîr, which extend southward as far as the šeʻîb of Umm Ǧurfejn. Ar-Riǧm is near the šeʻîb of al-Ḥṣâne. ʻEfâl is the name of the lower half of Wâdi al-Abjaẓ. The pilgrims’ night quarters were at Samra’ Tûmân. Al-Bedʻ is the present name of the ancient Madian, or Moṛâjer Šuʻejb. They crossed the šeʻîb of aṣ-Ṣwêr about forty kilometers southwest of al-Bedʻ and passed along the al-Mellâḥ road to the oasis of Šarma, which is identical with ʻUjûn al-Ḳaṣab. I locate al-ʻOḏejb in the vicinity of Umm Ǧejhîle. Al-Muḳâwel is situated somewhere on the northern border of Ḥmejra’ Ḳrajḳer on the Darb (road) al-Falak. Al-Ṛâl winds southward from Ḥmejra’ Ḳrajḳer. Šuḳḳ al-ʻAǧûz is the šeʻîb of aš-Šḳîḳ. The merchant Marzûḳ al-Kefâfi is forgotten. The people call his grave Ḳabr aṭ-Ṭwâši. Al-Baḥara extends about fifteen kilometers to the southeast of Ẓbe’.
APPENDIX XV
THE PILGRIM ROUTE FROM DAMASCUS
The Syrian pilgrims’ highroad follows the old transport route of at-Tebûkijje, which is referred to by Ibn Isḥâḳ (aṭ-Ṭabari, Ta’rîḫ [De Goeje], Ser. 1, pp. 2078 f.). This is clear from Jâḳût, Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), Vol. p. 336; Vol. 2, p. 135, according to whom Muḥammed ibn Saʻdûn al-ʻAbdari relates that Abu ʻObejda marched from al-Medîna through the valleys of al-Ḳura’, al-Aḳraʻ, al-Ǧunejne, and Tebûk to Sorṛ, whereupon he entered Syria. Al-ʻAbdari copies the record drawn up by Abu Ḥuḏejfa Isḥâḳ ibn Bišr in his book about the conquest of Syria. The headquarters of Wâdi al-Ḳura’ were formed by the modern oasis of al-ʻEla’. Al-Aḳraʻ is situated to the north of al-ʻEla’, while al-Ǧunejne is identical with Ǧenâjen al-Ḳâẓi between al-Aḳraʻ and Tebûk. Sorṛ, which must be read in place of the erroneous Sorûʻ of the text, denotes the oasis and stronghold of Soṛar to the north of Tebûk.
After the conquest of Syria, many pilgrims and even caliphs and members of the ruling house of the Omayyads (Beni Umejja) journeyed every year along this road to the Holy Cities. Ibn al-Faḳîh, Buldân (De Goeje), p. 106, states concerning the Caliph al-Walîd, the son of ʻAbdal