Al-Sirrain Archaeological Port
Al-Sirrain Archaeological Port is one of the archaeological sites in Al-Lith Governorate, Makkah Al-Mukarramah Province. It consists of six archaeological mounds and two cemeteries, all representing the remains of a residential city. The site features architectural elements such as red brick used in the construction of some buildings, distinctive Abbasid pottery shards, and some late Islamic pottery and ceramics.
Reason for naming Al-Sirrain Archaeological Port
Al-Sirrain City is located in the alluvial plain of Wadi Haliyyah—currently known as Wadi Al-Shaqqah Al-Shamiyyah—where the valley flows into the Red Sea. To its south lies the mouth of Wadi Alib—now known as Wadi Al-Shaqqah Al-Yamaniyyah. The name “Al-Sirrain” is derived from these two valleys, Haliyyah and Alib, which are among the most fertile valleys in Makkah Al-Mukarramah. In Arabic, Sir of the valley refers to “its best or most fertile area.” The land of Al-Sirrain is fertile, with abundant pasture and plentiful well water.
It was one of the ports of the Hejaz historically affiliated with the Emirate of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. According to Arab heritage sources, the establishment of the city’s port dates back to the pre-Islamic era. The city was among the most vital and economically active sites during the period from the ninth century to the fourteenth century.
Location of Al-Sirrain Archaeological Port
The city and port of Al-Sirrain are currently located south of Al-Wasqah village, which is part of Al-Shawwaq Center in Al-Lith Governorate, approximately forty-five km away. It is about 245 km from Makkah Al-Mukarramah City and about 220 km from Jeddah Governorate. The port of the city extends for a length of four km.
Al-Sirrain did not emerge as an important port for Makkah Al-Mukarramah until the beginning of the tenth century. It reached the peak of its prosperity in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, described by Muslim travelers and geographers such as Al-Maqdisi, Al-Bakri, Al-Idrisi, and Al-Himyari described as a great city. The earliest mention of the city of Al-Sirrain in Arab heritage texts appears in a verse by the poet Abu Khirash Al-Hudhali, a pre-Islamic poet who lived until the time of Caliph Umar Bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. He said: “The branches of ancestors from the abundant stream… nourished by Al-Sirrain or the basin of Haliyyah.” Haliyyah is the valley whose floodplain is home to Al-Sirrain.
Antiquities of Al-Sirrain Archaeological Port
The two cemeteries at Al-Sirrain are among the most prominent archaeological features discovered at the port. Their inscriptions are notable for their precision, vegetal ornamentation, and framing, making them some of the most significant epigraphic findings in the Arabian Peninsula. Archaeological excavations at the site also revealed shards of Chinese ceramics, in addition to various metal artifacts dating back to successive Islamic periods, beginning from the early Hijri centuries.