Hijr Fort

Hijr Fort is a historical fortress located in AlUla Governorate in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province, west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Known as the Islamic Fortress, it serves as a key station for visitors to the Hijr (Mada'in Salih) site. The fortress was built during the Abbasid era to serve as a rest stop for pilgrims traveling from the Levant.

Hijr Fort is located along the Levantine Hajj Route, also known as "Al-Tabukeyah" in reference to Tabuk City, which it passes through. The route begins in Damascus, passing through Bosra al-Sham near Daraa and other locations, before entering Saudi territory. It continues through Halat Ammar, then Dhat al-Hajj in Tabuk, followed by al-Aqra, al-Akhdar, and al-Muazzam station, finally reaching Hijr, then AlUla, and ending in Qurh.

Hijr Fort consists of two floors, featuring rooms, a small mosque, and a central water well. Near the fort, there is a large water cistern that was filled from the well to provide drinking water for pilgrims and traveling caravans.

The fort houses the Levantine Hajj Route Museum, established by the former Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. The museum showcases the history of the route, its stations, and the remaining landmarks along its path within Saudi Arabia.

The Hijr Fort Museum features multiple halls, including the Hall of the Levantine Hajj Route, the Hall of the Levantine Hajj Route during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Umayyad period, the Hall of the Levantine Hajj Route in the Abbasid era, and another dedicated Hall of the Levantine Hajj Route. The rooms of Hijr Fort were converted into exhibition halls, featuring various panels with images and information about the ancient Levantine Hajj Route.