Asfan Historical Fortress

Asfan Historical Fortress is an archaeological site in al-Jumum Governorate in Makkah Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is considered one of the most prominent historical monuments that were constructed to protect roads, trade caravans, and pilgrims in the past. It dates back to the sixth century AH, during the Ayyubid Dynasty's reign over the region.

Asfan Fortress was constructed from basalt rocks that were brought from the adjacent mountainous areas. Granite igneous rocks formed the main material for building, along with lime mortar as an adhesive. It was built in a square shape, with four towers at the corners, and two additional towers on each of its walls. It is one of the castles that were constructed in the beginning of the fourteenth century AH, in 1887, as part of a series of small fortresses extending between Makkah and Madinah in order to protect the pilgrims, including Asfan Fortress, where there were seasonal troops dedicated only for protecting the pilgrims. Asfan Fortress has the characteristics of fortresses in terms of towers, armories, and some internal chambers for the residents of the fortress.

The traveler Ibn Jubayr, who came for Hajj in 1182, mentioned Asfan Fortress as an ancient fort with towers, which was affected by old age and weakened by the lack of architecture and the inevitability of destruction. Asfan Fortress, with its area of no more than 200 m2, is situated on top of a mountain whose elevation does not exceed twenty meters above the ground.