Souk Okaz
Souk Okaz is an archaeological site in Taif Governorate in Makkah Al-Mukarramah Province, west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the largest of the Arab markets in pre-Islamic times and the Islamic era, and the meeting place for commerce, thought, literature, and the various cultures of the Arab tribes and the newcomers to the souk (market) from all over the Arabian Peninsula. The market began in the year 501, approximately one hundred years before the emergence of Islam.
History of Souk Okaz
Souk Okaz was associated with the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH), the spread of Islam among Arab tribes, and Dawah (call) to Allah. The land of Banu Saad embraced Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), when Halimah Al-Sa’diyyah, may God be pleased with her, brought him there to spend his childhood among its people in a pastoral area not far from the site of Souk Okaz. Halimah Al-Sa’diyyah brought him to Souk Okaz while he was in her care.
The Arabs used to come to Makkah Al-Mukarramah during the pilgrimage seasons, as well as to Souk Okaz, Mujanna, and Dhul-Majaz. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) witnessed Souk Okaz during the Fijar War and attended the market as a boy, a young man, and after the Prophethood. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) went with his uncle Al-Abbas to Okaz so that he could show him the dwellings of the Arab tribes. After that, he would return to those he sensed might support him or be convinced by his call to the religion of Islam.
Souk Okaz Season
Souk Okaz would begin on the first day of the month of Dhu Al-Qi’dah each year and continue until the twentieth. People would then move on to the Mujanna market, and once the month of Dhu Al-Hijjah began, they would head to the Dhul-Majaz market and then proceed to Hajj.
Various goods were brought to Souk Okaz from Hajar, Iraq, the Levant, Persia, Yemen, and the deserts. These included ghee, milk, dried curd, sheep, and camels; from Yemen came embroidered cloaks and leather; from the Levant, weapons; from Persia, perfumes and silk; and from Taif, leather, raisins, and grapes. Souk Okaz also became known for selling leather to the extent that the phrase “Okazi leather” was used in reference to it, even though it was not produced there.
Souk Okaz in the Islamic era
Souk Okaz remained a commercial center during the Islamic era and served as a main stop on the pilgrimage route coming from Yemen through Najran, Aseer, and Hejaz. It was subjected to destruction and looting by the Haruriyyah Kharijites under the leadership of Al-Mukhtar Bin Awf, who took control of Makkah Al-Mukarramah in 747. The site of Souk Okaz continued to serve as a station for trade and pilgrimage until the twelfth century.
Mandates of Souk Okaz
At Souk Okaz, alliances were declared, and those who had tribute due from a tribe would go to Okaz to receive it. Anyone seeking to grant protection would announce it there, and anyone intending to declare war on a tribe would also do so at Okaz. The reason Souk Okaz was chosen for announcing reconciliation, ransom, treaties, and protection was the large gathering of Arabs at the market, allowing such declarations to be witnessed by many and spread among other tribes across the region.
Literary Activity in Souk Okaz
Souk Okaz derived its name from the "Mu‘akazah" between poets—that is, the competition in reciting poems of pride. Poets were keen to recite their poems during the Souk Okaz season so that attendees could hear them and transmit them orally. Leading poets would hang their poems in Okaz as a mark of pride in their eloquence.
Antiquities in Okaz region
The Okaz region contains several rock carvings on the Red Saraya Plateau at the site of Souk Okaz, where abstract drawings in black pigments have been found, including a depiction of a horse with a visible rider. In the Wadi Luwan area, about seven km east of Souk Okaz, there are two rock art sites along the valley that feature drawings of cattle, an abstract human figure, and a well-executed depiction of a camel.
About two km east of Souk Okaz lies the site of Al-‘Abal, a natural landmark consisting of an elevated hill with two peaks. At its summit is a stone circle, along with several foundations of archaeological structures located approximately five hundred m northwest of the northern gate of Souk Okaz.
On the Red Saraya Plateau in the center of Okaz, there are Islamic inscriptions classified as commemorative inscriptions, typically recorded by travelers on mountainsides near travel routes or by local residents. These inscriptions include various supplications, such as requests for mercy and forgiveness, or verses from the Quran. They were engraved using shallow incisions in unpointed Kufic script. The inscriptions date back to a period between the seventh to ninth centuries.
Located approximately 2.47 km southeast of Souk Okaz is Al-Bayda Well, which was one of the water sources in the Souk Okaz area and situated along the Yemeni pilgrimage route. To its west are the foundations of a structure dating back to the early Islamic period. The Okaz area contains historical forts and palaces from the early Islamic period, including: Musharrafah Palace, which dates back to the early Islamic era (the Umayyad and Abbasid periods); Al-‘Arafah Fortress, built in the late nineteenth century; and Marwan Fortress, located three km south of Souk Okaz.
Development of Souk Okaz in the Saudi Era
After a disappearance that lasted nearly 1,300 years, Souk Okaz was revived during the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2007. During the reign of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Tourist Destination Development Initiative was approved in 2016, which included the development of the Souk Okaz City.
On October 1, 2017, Souk Okaz City was inaugurated to be the first integrated cultural tourism destination in Saudi Arabia, be built on an area of ten million m, and it will contribute to attracting about two million tourists annually and providing twelve thousand jobs.