Tayma governorate, Tabuk region

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• 2021-12-13 10:29:16
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Located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it contains ancient historical and archaeological treasures, and it is the cradle of successive human civilizations on the Arabian Peninsula, and a treasure trove of the kingdom’s antiquities treasures that have enjoyed wide global resonance, as a kingdom of antiquities dating back more than 85 thousand years. Meanwhile, I found great interest from the state in the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' program to take care of the cultural heritage of the Kingdom.

 

The governorate of Tayma follows administratively the Tabuk region, away from the city of Tabuk at a distance of 265 kilometers to the southeast, while it lies between latitudes 27 and 38 degrees towards the north, and longitudes 38 and 32 degrees towards the east. Striking stone roots have its roots in the depths of the history of the Arabian Peninsula and the civilizations that followed it.

Throughout the ages, Taima was considered a commercial and economic center and a meeting point for the ancient trade routes in it. It possesses the abundance and purity of water, fertility of the soil and a moderate climate, which made ancient civilizations successive to it, starting from the modern stone ages "the tenth millennium until the end of the fourth millennium BC," through the Bronze Age. The third millennium BC, then the Iron Age, the second millennium BC, which is the era in which Taima flourished until it became one of the most important cities in the north of the Arabian Peninsula.

The name Taima was mentioned in the Assyrian cuneiform, Babylonian, Aramaic, and Nabatean writings, and it was an important focus in the Babylonian era, and the companion Yazid bin Abi Sufyan was appointed by the Messenger of Allah , and it was an important resource and starting point for the Islamic conquests. Taima passed through the Islamic era with events Several times, and they appeared and faded at times until the era of the Saudi state, where Taima began to grow, and witnessed successive prosperity in various levels, and its cultural and historical heritage gave it wide fame.

Tayma is characterized by the presence of historical landmarks and evidence such as: the "outer wall", which is one of the longest and most fortified historical walls in the Arabian Peninsula, with a length of more than 10 kilometers and a height in some of the remaining parts now more than 10 meters and the width of its wall between one and two meters, the wall was constructed in some of its parts with stones, and in other parts of clay and mud. The period of building the wall dates back to the sixth century BC, as well as the Alhambra Palace, which is a building with three sections, the first is a temple and the others are for housing, one of them was built within the period of the temple and then the southern part of the palace was added during a later period that was revealed in 1979 AD, one of its most important remains is an obelisk bearing an Armenian script and a cubic stone containing various scenes and symbols. The palace dates back to the sixth century BC.

Among the most important monuments of Tayma is also the "Qasr Al-Radham", which is a square fortress in the middle of which is a well constructed of polished stones and has pillars in its corners and in the middle of its external sides  and the width of its wall is about two meters and dates back to the middle of the first millennium BC.

 

Haddaj well is one of the most famous wells known to the ancient world and dates back to the middle of the sixth century of the first millennium BC. During its history the well was subjected to several events during which it ceased to exist, but its features remained until it was re-dug nearly 400 years ago to return to work and giving, and continue in The place was supplied with water by Camels until the year 1373 H.

Tayma also includes the “village” site, which is a large site with an area of more than 300 hectares and contains many urban landmarks constructed from stones, palaces, civil buildings and agricultural facilities such as wells, irrigation canals and various facilities. The site contains burials from the Armenian period; in addition to being fortified. This area has an inner and outer wall, topped by watchtowers, which are concentrated on the southern and western sides.

Excavations at these sites revealed important scientific results, including the discovering of parts of the main hill, whose findings show the existence of multiple settlement stages, and many buildings and facilities emerged from it, as parts of the wall and adjacent structures were uncovered. The results of the construction analysis showed that the wall returns Date of creation returns to the nineteenth century BC.

In addition to the above, a number of early and late Cuneiform, Thamudic, Aramaic, Nabataean and Islamic inscriptions and writings, as well as pottery tools with distinctive decorative characteristics, parts of human and animal statues, decorative elements, coins and stone carvings such as incense burners, crowns and other archaeological materials were found.

One of the most important architectural monuments in Taima is Al-Samawal Palace, "Al-Ablaq Al Fard", which gained wide fame, and the heritage sources talked extensively about it. It is located in the southern part of the old city of Tayma to the north of the new headquarters of the buildings of Tayma Governorate, and its construction is attributed to Adaya, the first ancestor of Al-Samawal. The fortress was mentioned in many books of the ancient Arabs, and among those mentioned by Yaqut al-Hamwi, about whom he says: “It is on his mound of dirt in which there are traces of his construction of milk that do not indicate what is said about it of greatness and immunity

Historian Hamad Al-Jasser - may God have mercy on him - commented on what Yaqout al-Hamwi mentioned, saying: “It appears that Yaqoot did not see these relics, but he transmitted their description without an expert, and this is why he made a mistake as the monuments of the fortress and a view are still remaining and it is built of stones and not of mud and its effects. Denotes greatness and strength. "

The poet Al-Asha has a poem in the description of Al-Ablaq Palace that says: (It is looks like dessert to in the sky,  it has tiles, circles, lime and trenches) and in the second verse (it has dashes and rashes in its top and has the scent of Musk and basil and a clapping hand ...)

Among the building features in Tayma governorate is the pottery brick factory located inside the new residential area and dating back to the second century BC, and Al-Bajidi Palace is a landmark of the early Islamic period, and the palace is a square shape with towers in its corners, and some parts of its walls bearing a number of The Arabic texts documenting its historical period, and Rjum Sa`sa, located south of Tayma, over a large area of ​​27 square kilometers, which is a field of various pile tombs, dating back to the third millennium BC, and the excavations in some of these cemeteries led to the knowledge of construction details And its architectural patterns in it.

The effects discovered in the industrial zone south of Tayma, for a distance of 4 km, to fields of cemeteries in the form of groups or separate burials, are identical in what differs in size and purpose, what we find are burial fields in the form of images and excavations of uses, pottery, bronze, pottery tools and decorative tools for competitions, Façades, pottery and bronze, distinctive Christmas facades and sciences.

The effects discovered in the industrial zone south of Tayma, extending for 4 km, indicated that they are fields of cemeteries in the form of groups or separate burials and are almost identical in terms of style and construction material, but they often differ in size and often we find them are square or rectangular rooms built Above the surface of the earth, and connected to a circular building not used for burial, in addition to the patterns and important architectural elements of these tombs, the excavations revealed the discovery of large numbers of distinctive pieces that included various pottery utensils and tools in their uses, pottery and bronze statues, jewelry and decorative tools dating back to the sixth century BC.

Tayma is famous for  Jabal Ghoneim, which is located southeast of Tayma, 10 kilometers in a mountain range that extends around Tayma through its southeastern corner, and on the top of the mountain are traces of a destroyed building and on the rocky facades. The hills and the erected columns, and among the most important of its sites are Jabal Ghoneim, Wadhi, the western and eastern fading, al-Mashmarkh, al-Safat al-Maradah, al-Fadu, al-Maktaba, Umm Saraf, Hajjah Tayma, Tawil Saeed, Gharan al-Majdar, and many others.

A number of cuneiform inscriptions dating back to the sixth and eighth centuries BC were also found in Taima, and as in bygone eras, the site of Tayma Governorate, with its legacy, antiquities and ancient history, remained a distinct geographical location over the succession of civilizations, eras and states, starting from the era of human stability starting with the Stone Age and then the Bronze Age Then the Iron Age, then the pre-Islamic era, which is represented by the Samawal period, then the Islamic era, passing through its multiple periods and even recent ages, and from there to the era of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its three stages 

Since the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the hands of King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud - may God have mercy on him - passing through the righteous kings - may God have mercy on them - until the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect him - the antiquities, tourism and heritage sector has received the attention of the state for what the Kingdom possesses Of the heritage, enormous archaeological treasures, rare historical sites and monuments dating to ancient and great cultures and successive civilizations throughout the ages, which highlights the historical position of the Kingdom and its cultural depth as the cradle of the beginnings of human civilizations, and reflects its authentic civilization and its position on the global level, making it the destination of archaeologists, history, research and exploration teams and excavation teams Of different nationalities from worldwide East and West.

Tayma governorate gained a unique geographical location that increased its importance, as it is the largest governorates in the Tabuk region and the link between the region, the Medina region, the Hail region and the Al-Jawf region. The hand of Saudi development in all economic and agricultural fields, public education and university education was built in it and the latest hospitals were built and health services were developed. Connecting it to other cities, centers and villages in the Kingdom with modern methods, and Taima Al Madinah and the governorate, like other governorates in Tabuk region, received the unlimited support of His Royal Highness Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Tabuk region, Chairman of the Tourism Development Council in the region, for everything that would advance the province of Tayma and highlight its components His Highness is keen to make an annual tour to Tayma Governorate, through which he is reassured of the services provided to citizens, and His Highness perceives their needs and demands, and stands on restoration projects.

Prince Fahd bin Sultan worked to support the implementation of a number of projects in the region, the most prominent of which was his directive to implement the “King Saud Project for the Restoration of the Haddaj Well” with Tayma and financing it from his own account. The Haddaj Well is one of the largest and most famous wells in the Arabian Peninsula. It is "Sheikh Al-Jawiyyah", and its mouth circumference is 65 meters, its depth is from 11 to 12 meters, and it is built of polished stones, surrounded by palm trees on the four sides. The well draws 100 camels at one time during the summer, while water is transported from The well is by means of stone channels totaling 31 stone channels

And when King Saud Al Saud - may God have mercy on him - visited the city of Tayma in the year 1373 AH, he  he had a look at the historic Haddaj well and saw the extent of the suffering of the people in extracting water. He ordered the installation of four modern machines to change the situation since that day in this well for the better, after which the productivity increased and expanded according to that area. The facilities provided to farmers had their role in enabling each farmer to have a well inside his farm with more productivity and easier means, and because of these wells that were dug deeper around the Haddaj well, this led to a shortage in the well's water and decreased its productivity of water as the people’s need for well water began to decrease. It was neglected, and its architectural components and facilities were vandalized.

In view of the historical and architectural importance of this well, His Royal Highness Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz took the initiative to restore the well and restore it to the state it was in and rehabilitate it to be an important tourist landmark that plays a cultural and economic role and returned to its normal position in the same manner as in folding the well and paving the edges of the well and then laying a fence Iron to prevent any encroachment or throwing waste into it, and it has become a tourist attraction in the region that is intended by many visitors and tourists from inside and outside the Kingdom

Under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Highness, the trustworthy Crown Prince - may God bless them - the Kingdom seeks to develop valuable and distinctive tourism with social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits, based on its Islamic values and the authenticity of its ancient heritage and traditional hospitality.

The "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for the Care of the Kingdom's Cultural Heritage" is an important national historical project that reflects the development of heritage programs and projects in the Kingdom. It covers several tracks of national projects such as antiquities, museums, urban heritage, crafts and handicrafts, awareness and introduction to cultural heritage, and the development of urban and archaeological heritage sites.

The Kingdom's Vision 2030, which was outlined by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, placed the Saudi Arabian and Islamic historical cultural heritage as an important title for it, to emphasize the importance of preserving it as the Kingdom throughout history has been the seat For ancient human civilizations, and a bridge for trade routes that linked the world's civilizations to each other, which earned them a unique cultural diversity.

The vision promotes the issue of preserving the national identity, highlighting it, defining it, and transmitting it to generations, by instilling national principles and values, taking care of social upbringing and the Arabic language, establishing museums and events and organizing activities that enhance this aspect. And registering it internationally, and enabling everyone to access it as a living witness to our ancient heritage, its active role, and its prominent position on the map of human civilization.

The recent discovery announced by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, represented by the presence of ancient human footprints on the bank of an ancient lake in the Nafud desert on the outskirts of the Tabuk region is a surprising and very rare discovery that shows the extent of the spread of the human being on the island Arabic is within the areas of human migrations that occurred thousands of years ago, and was reported by various scientific and media circles on the global level.

His Highness explained in a previous interview that the age of the footprints match with a sane person's finger fossil recently found near the Al-Wusta site in Tayma Governorate, dating back 85,000 years. Green pastures rich in rivers, lakes, fresh water and abundance of animals that were a source of food for humans

The role of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage was not limited to exploration, research, discoveries, and attracting local and international missions in the province of Tayma, but went beyond it to allocate an amount of approximately 34 million Riyals for the project to develop the Taima Regional Museum