Saudi Arabia - Egyptian Hajj Road

Latitude and Longitude, or UTM coordinates: The Road starts form the Town of Haqel on the Gulf of Aqaba Name Zone Easting Northing Magha’ir Su’aib in Al-Bide’ 36 R 695650.71 m E 3152942.30 m N Median Wells in Al-Bide’ 36 R 697620.02 m E 3152641.60 m N Ainouna Wells 36 R 716331.00 m E 3109849.00 m N Sharma 36 R 718481.63 m E 3096908.41 m N Al-Mwaileh Fort 36 R 744653.95 m E 3064321.00 m N King Abdul Aziz Fort in Dhuba 36 R 766600.29 m E 3027908.70 m N Al-Azlam Fort 37 R 204309.01 m E 2994336.37 m N Al-Souq Fort in Al-Wajh 37 R 246113.14 m E 2903342.79 m N Cape Karkoma 37 R 265527.62 m E 2861839.45 m N Traditional Souq in Umluj 37 R 324781.39 m E 2769008.61 m N Al-Swaiq Site in Yanbu 37 R 443914.59 m E 2695595.50 m N Yanbu Al-Nkhel site 37 R 440647.09 m E 2689974.03 m N Old Town of Badr 37 Q 479103.11 m E 2629557.91 m N Al-Abwa Traditional Town 37 Q 507956.37 m E 2554667.38 m N Rabigh Tower 37 Q 503323.70 m E 2522178.06 m N Al-Juhfa Site 37 Q 514032.67 m E 2514807.92 m N The Road then ends in Makkah One of the important pilgrimage routes in Islamic history, linking Egypt to Makkah and Medina, through which benefited the masses of Muslim of pilgrims coming from Egypt, Sudan, Central Africa, Morocco, Andalusia and Sicily, as they meet in Egypt, then travel through Sinai to Aqaba then march across two trails: the first, is internal trail moving to Medina passing Shaghab, Beda, valley of the villages, and the second is coastal trail passes through a number of stations most important of which are: Ainouna, Al- Muwailih, Dhuba, Al-Owained, Al-Wajh, Al-Hora, Nabat, Yanbu and Al-Jar. From Al-Jar the trail heads to Makkah through Al-Juhfa then Khulais then Usfan.Or heads through Badr until it reaches Makkah or Medina. Like all the other Islamic pilgrimage roads it received great interest and attention of Muslim rulers in different Islamic eras and periods, as they established many structures on the path of this road like pools, canals and wells, they also paved obstacles and built barricades, bridges, castles, forts and mosques, and on the road near the camps are numerous Islamic inscriptions and commemorative writings, engraved by pilgrims as they passed through the toad. We need to recognize the efforts by the late scholar Hamad Al-Jasser, who published written manuscripts by voyagers who travelled this path, documenting its condition and history. The greatest of Al-Jasser works was a research in Adurrar Al-Faraied manuscript by Abdelqader Al-Jazeeri, as well as publishing papers by many Moroccan travels. This path is important not only for Egyptian pilgrims, but for it was is the path of the pilgrims from Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana, and Central Africa; it was also the path for pilgrims from Andalusia (Spain). The course of this road changed through time, according to political circumstances and technological development. This road is divided into to four distinct stages: - Stage one: extends from the Islamic conquest of Egypt, until mid 5th century AH/9th century CE, this route was divided into two paths in Arabia: an internal road and coastal road (mentioned by ibn Hawqal). - Stage two: the stage of Aitheb path, during this period, the northern Hijaz land road was halted. Egyptian pilgrims used Nile ships to sail to Qus and then travel to Aitheb by caravans then crossed the sea to Jeddah. - Stage three: during which pilgrims returned to use the coastal road. - Stage four: the land road discontinued and pilgrims travelled by sea from Suez, and then, by air to Jeddah. Hajj Roads from Egypt Ibn Hawqal described this road from Egypt to Medina, the coastal road is twenty stages long, and the Egyptian Hajj Mission will meet with the Syrian Hajj mission in Aiyla. Moroccans accompany Egyptians and probably remain together unless they reach consent, the people from Palestine will pass Median (Tabuk) in two roads: one through Al-Bid’ and Shaghab, till they reach Madinah. The second path remains parallels to the coast until it reaches Al-Juhfa were the people from Iraq, Damascus, shall meet. Judge Wakea counted the stages of the Egyptian road, from Al-Fusttat, Al-Jub, Al-Hafer, Al-Buwaib, Manzel um Saad, Ajroud, Al-Qalzam, Kursi, Al-Hafer, Nakhal, Aiyla, then the road separates to a coastal and inland roads. The inland road from Aiyla to Sharaf Al-Baal, Madien, Falis, Al-Aghar, Al-Kilabiyah, Al- Bedea, Shaghab, As-Sarhtain, Al-Suqiya, and there both the Shami and Egyptian paths meet. The coastal path: from Ayla, Ainona, Al-Mussala, Al-Nabak, Dhuba, Al-Murrah, Uwainid, Al-Wajh, Mankhus, Al-Hora (Umluj), Qussaiba, Al-Buhra, Yanbu, Al-Jar, to Medina.