Hejaz

Lore & Background

The Hejaz, also known as the Western Province, occupies the western strip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the Red Sea to the west, Jordan and the Gulf of Aqaba to the north, the Najd region to the east, and South Arabia to the south. Its landscape includes the Hejaz Mountains, visible behind the archaeological district of al-Ula, and features a now-dried river system that once flowed northeast toward the Persian Gulf. The region contains the Mahd adh-Dhahab, known as the "Cradle of the Gold," and at least one megalithic dolmen has been found here. The largest city is Jeddah, the second-largest in Saudi Arabia, followed by Mecca and Medina as the third and fourth largest. The Hejaz is the most populated part of the country, with Arabic as the predominant language and Hejazi Arabic as the most common dialect. Its population is ethnically diverse, though the vast majority are of Arab origin. The name derives from an Arabic root meaning "to separate," as it divides the Najd from Tihamah. Historically, the region hosted oasis cities such as Yathrib (Medina), Fadak, Khaybar, Taymah, and Al-Ula, which thrived on trade after the domestication of the dromedary camel and the incense trade. The Lihyan kingdom ruled from the northwestern Hejaz, with its capital at Dedan in the Al-Ula oasis, until the Nabataeans occupied the area from the 1st century BCE. The Thamud confederation was based in the northwestern Hejaz at Hegra, and the Ghassanids dominated the region between the third and fourth centuries CE before migrating north into Syria. Later, the Mudar confederation became the main power in western Arabia.

Reader's Guide

The Hejaz is historically and religiously central to Islam, housing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the first and second holiest sites in the faith. This region is the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad according to Islamic tradition, and it serves as the destination for the Hajj pilgrimage and the direction of Muslim prayer. The area was part of the early Muslim conquests and subsequently formed part of successive caliphates, including the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, a short-lived independent Kingdom of Hejaz existed in 1925 before being conquered by the Sultanate of Nejd, eventually joining with other Saudi dominions in 1932 to form the unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, with Jeddah as its largest city, followed by Mecca and Medina. The predominant language is Arabic, with Hejazi Arabic being the most widely spoken dialect. Hejazis are ethnically diverse, though the vast majority are of Arab origin. Historically, the region’s oasis cities, such as Yathrib (Medina), Fadak, Khaybar, Taymah, and Al-Ula, were major trading centers from the Bronze Age, benefiting from water access and the domestication of the dromedary camel for long-distance incense and spice trade. Various tribal confederations dominated the area over time, including the Lihyan, Thamud, Ghassanids, and Mudar, with the Quraysh tribe ruling Mecca. Prehistoric megalithic dolmens have also been found in the Hejaz.

Did You Know?

• The Hejaz is named from the Arabic root ḥ-j-z, meaning 'to separate,' as it separates Najd from Tihamah.
• One or possibly two megalithic dolmen have been found in the Hejaz.
• The Kingdom of Lihyan ruled from the northwestern Hejaz with its capital at Dedan in the Al-Ula oasis.