Himyarite Kingdom
In the 6th century AD, the city of Tā'if was dominated by the Thaqif tribe, which still lives in and around the city of Ta'if today. It has been suggested that Jewish tribes who were displaced by Ethiopian Christians in the Himyarite Kingdom wars settled near Ta'if. The walled city was a religious centre as it housed the idol of the goddess "Lāt", who was then known as "the lady of Tā'if." Its climate marked the city out from its dry and barren neighbours closer to the Red Sea. Wheat, vines, and fruit were grown around Tā'if, and this is how the city earned its title "the Garden of the Hejaz". Both Ta'if and Mecca were resorts of pilgrimage. Ta'if was more pleasantly situated than Mecca itself and the people of Ta'if had close trade relations with the people of Mecca. The people of Ta'if carried on agriculture and fruit‑growing in addition to their trade activities.