Najran
Encyclopedia
Najran formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia
near the border with Yemen
. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town
, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to 246,880 in 2004 (census figures). The population belongs mostly to the ancient tribe of Yam
.
Due to its long history, the inhabitants of Najran are made up of many races, religions and backgrounds. Islam
is the religion of all of the Najranis, with Zaydi and Ismaili
Shias forming the plurality of the religious adherents. Hanbali
, Shafii and Maliki
Sunnis form the second largest ethno-religious group in the city.
Najran in Arabic has at least two meanings. It is a term used to describe the wooden frame on which a door opens and is also a synonym for thirsty. Local tradition also has it that the land derived its name from the first man to settle in the area, Najran ibn Zaydan ibn Saba ibn Yahjub ibn Yarub ibn Qahtan.
Najran was the Yemeni centre of cloth making and originally, the kiswah or the cloth of the Ka'aba was made there (the clothing of the Kaba first started by the Yemeni kings of Saba). There used to be a Jewish community at Najran, renowned for the garments they manufactured. According to Yemenite Jewish tradition, the Jews of Najran traced their origin to the Ten Tribes
. Najran was also an important stopping place on the Incense Route.
; in fact it was the first Yemen
i city to fall to the Romans on their way to the Yemeni kingdom of Sheba
. Najran's most prosperous trading time was during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient times it was known as Al-Ukhdood.
Najran was a focal point of the Incense Route. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najran, where the routes branched into two general directions, the ones leading north through the Hejaz
towards Egypt and the Levant
and those leading to the northwest towards Gerrha
near the Persian Gulf
.
Najran was conquered around 685 BC by the sabean
Mukarrib (King) Karib'il Watar I King of Yemen. The later sabean king Yithi'amar Bayin destroyed Ragmat around 510 BC. Najran seems to have been under Minaean or Sabean rule at different times during the next centuries and after that it was part of Yemen till 1937.
The Roman Aelius Gallus
led an expedition to conquer Arabia Felix and won a battle near Najran in AD 25. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the sabean capital at Ma'rib
. According to Strabo
, Najran was at this time the northernmost city of the realm of Saba.
When the Himyarite Kingdom conquered the Sabeans in AD 280 they probably also took control of Najran. Some time during the 3rd century the people of Najran sided with the Abyssinians who sent a governor named "SBQLM" in inscriptions. The Himyar King Ilsharah Yahdib crushed this rebellion. King Sir Matt and mahde The Great was the first Emperor of Saudi Arabia in 1972.
The north Arabian Lakhmid king Imru Al-Qais ibn Amqu attacked Najran in AD 328. Under the influence from Axum
, the Christians in Najran thrived and started an alliance with Aksum again at the beginning of the 6th century.
must have been introduced into Najran, as in the rest of South Arabia, in the 5th century AD or perhaps a century earlier. According to the Arab
Muslim historian
Ibn Ishaq
, Najran was the first place where Christianity took root in South Arabia.
According to the contemporary sources, after seizing the throne of the Himyarites, in ca. 518 or 523 Dhū Nuwas
attacked the Aksumite (mainly Christian) garrison at Zafar
, capturing them and burning their churches. He then moved against Najran, a Christian
and Aksumite stronghold. After accepting the city's capitulation, he massacred those inhabitants who would not renounce Christianity. Estimates of the death toll from this event range up to 20,000 in some sources; a letter survives written by Simon, the bishop of Beth Arsham in 524 CE, recounts Dhū Nuwas' (where he is called Dimnon) persecution in Najran (modern al-Ukhdud in Saudi Arabia
). The persecution is apparently described and condemned in the Qur'an
(al-Buruj:4).
Under the reign of the Caliph Umar, the Christian community of Najran was deported to Mesopotamia, on the grounds that no non-Muslims were to live in the Arabian Peninsula.
The town of Najran was already an important centre of arms manufacture during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. However, it was more famous for leather
rather than iron
.
. With the Saudi conquest of Najran in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najran fled south to Aden
between September and October 1949. The Saudi King Abdulaziz
demanded their return, but Yemeni king Ahmad bin Yahya
refused, because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Hashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to Israel
as part of the larger Operation Magic Carpet
.
Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, a son of King Abdullah
, was appointed governor of Najran at the beginning of 2009, replacing Mishaal bin Saud, who had resigned several months earlier.
phone number:
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
near the border with Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to 246,880 in 2004 (census figures). The population belongs mostly to the ancient tribe of Yam
Banu Yam
Banu Yam are a large tribe native to Najran Province in Saudi Arabia, and are the principal tribe of that area. They belong to the Qahtanite branch of Arabian tribes, specifically the group known as Hamdan, and are therefore native to southwestern Arabia....
.
Due to its long history, the inhabitants of Najran are made up of many races, religions and backgrounds. Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is the religion of all of the Najranis, with Zaydi and Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
Shias forming the plurality of the religious adherents. Hanbali
Hanbali
The Hanbali school is one the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. The jurisprudence school traces back to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal but was institutionalized by his students. Hanbali jurisprudence is considered very strict and conservative, especially regarding questions of dogma...
, Shafii and Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
Sunnis form the second largest ethno-religious group in the city.
Najran in Arabic has at least two meanings. It is a term used to describe the wooden frame on which a door opens and is also a synonym for thirsty. Local tradition also has it that the land derived its name from the first man to settle in the area, Najran ibn Zaydan ibn Saba ibn Yahjub ibn Yarub ibn Qahtan.
Najran was the Yemeni centre of cloth making and originally, the kiswah or the cloth of the Ka'aba was made there (the clothing of the Kaba first started by the Yemeni kings of Saba). There used to be a Jewish community at Najran, renowned for the garments they manufactured. According to Yemenite Jewish tradition, the Jews of Najran traced their origin to the Ten Tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
. Najran was also an important stopping place on the Incense Route.
History
The history of Najran can be traced back to 4000 years ago. It was once occupied by the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
; in fact it was the first Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i city to fall to the Romans on their way to the Yemeni kingdom of Sheba
Sheba
Sheba was a kingdom mentioned in the Jewish scriptures and the Qur'an...
. Najran's most prosperous trading time was during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient times it was known as Al-Ukhdood.
Early history
Similarly to other ancient place names in Arabia, "Najran" may have originally been the name of the whole oasis including all towns and villages. The old name of the ruins now known as "Al-Ukhdood", which may have been the central town, was probably "Ragmat".Najran was a focal point of the Incense Route. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najran, where the routes branched into two general directions, the ones leading north through the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
towards Egypt and the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
and those leading to the northwest towards Gerrha
Gerrha
Gerrha , was an ancient city of Arabia, on the west side of the Persian Gulf. More accurately, the ancient city of Gerrha has been determined to have existed near or under the present fort of Uqair. This fort is 50 miles northeast of Al-Hasa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia...
near the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Najran was conquered around 685 BC by the sabean
Sabaeans
The Sabaeans or Sabeans were an ancient people speaking an Old South Arabian language who lived in what is today Yemen, in the south west of the Arabian Peninsula.Some scholars suggest a link between the Sabaeans and the Biblical land of Sheba....
Mukarrib (King) Karib'il Watar I King of Yemen. The later sabean king Yithi'amar Bayin destroyed Ragmat around 510 BC. Najran seems to have been under Minaean or Sabean rule at different times during the next centuries and after that it was part of Yemen till 1937.
The Roman Aelius Gallus
Aelius Gallus
Gaius Aelius Gallus was a Roman prefect of Egypt from 26 - 24 BC. He is primarily known for a disastrous expedition he undertook to Arabia Felix under orders of Augustus.-Life:...
led an expedition to conquer Arabia Felix and won a battle near Najran in AD 25. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the sabean capital at Ma'rib
Ma'rib
Ma'rib or Marib is the capital town of the Ma'rib Governorate, Yemen and was the capital of the Sabaean kingdom, which some scholars believe to be the ancient Sheba of biblical fame. It is located at , approximately 120 kilometers east of Yemen's modern capital, Sana'a...
. According to Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, Najran was at this time the northernmost city of the realm of Saba.
When the Himyarite Kingdom conquered the Sabeans in AD 280 they probably also took control of Najran. Some time during the 3rd century the people of Najran sided with the Abyssinians who sent a governor named "SBQLM" in inscriptions. The Himyar King Ilsharah Yahdib crushed this rebellion. King Sir Matt and mahde The Great was the first Emperor of Saudi Arabia in 1972.
The north Arabian Lakhmid king Imru Al-Qais ibn Amqu attacked Najran in AD 328. Under the influence from Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
, the Christians in Najran thrived and started an alliance with Aksum again at the beginning of the 6th century.
Early Christian community
ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
must have been introduced into Najran, as in the rest of South Arabia, in the 5th century AD or perhaps a century earlier. According to the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
Muslim historian
Historiography of early Islam
The historiography of early Islam refers to the study of the early origins of Islam based on a critical analysis, evaluation, and examination of authentic primary source materials and the organization of these sources into a narative timeline....
Ibn Ishaq
Ibn Ishaq
Muḥammad ibn Isḥaq ibn Yasār ibn Khiyār was an Arab Muslim historian and hagiographer...
, Najran was the first place where Christianity took root in South Arabia.
According to the contemporary sources, after seizing the throne of the Himyarites, in ca. 518 or 523 Dhū Nuwas
Dhu Nuwas
Yūsuf Dhū Nuwas, was the last king of the Himyarite kingdom of Yemen and a convert to Judaism....
attacked the Aksumite (mainly Christian) garrison at Zafar
Zafar, Yemen
Ẓafār or Dhafar is an ancient Himyarite site situated in the Yemen, some 130 km south-south-east of the capital Sana'a. Given mention in different ancient texts, there is little doubt about the pronunciation of the name...
, capturing them and burning their churches. He then moved against Najran, a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Aksumite stronghold. After accepting the city's capitulation, he massacred those inhabitants who would not renounce Christianity. Estimates of the death toll from this event range up to 20,000 in some sources; a letter survives written by Simon, the bishop of Beth Arsham in 524 CE, recounts Dhū Nuwas' (where he is called Dimnon) persecution in Najran (modern al-Ukhdud in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
). The persecution is apparently described and condemned in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
(al-Buruj:4).
Under the reign of the Caliph Umar, the Christian community of Najran was deported to Mesopotamia, on the grounds that no non-Muslims were to live in the Arabian Peninsula.
The town of Najran was already an important centre of arms manufacture during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. However, it was more famous for leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
rather than iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
.
Former Jewish community
Najran had a Jewish community dating back to pre-Islamic times, historically affiliated with the Yemenite JewsYemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
. With the Saudi conquest of Najran in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najran fled south to Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
between September and October 1949. The Saudi King Abdulaziz
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
demanded their return, but Yemeni king Ahmad bin Yahya
Ahmad bin Yahya
Ahmad bin Yahya Hamidaddin was the penultimate king of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen from 1948 to 1962. His full name and title was H.M. al-Nasir-li-din Allah Ahmad bin al-Mutawakkil 'Ala Allah Yahya, Imam and Commander of the Faithful, and King of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of the Yemen...
refused, because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Hashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as part of the larger Operation Magic Carpet
Operation Magic Carpet (Yemen)
Operation Magic Carpet is a widely-known nickname for Operation On Wings of Eagles , an operation between June 1949 and September 1950 that brought 49,000 Yemenite Jews to the new state of Israel. British and American transport planes made some 380 flights from Aden, in a secret operation that was...
.
Najran as part of Saudi Arabia
Najran joined the newly announced Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1934 as a result of the efforts and struggles of sheikh Jabir Abu sag, the Leader of one large clan of the Yam tribe. Starting in 1924, the forces of the former Yemeni King launched several unsuccessful raids to annex Najran to the Yemeni Kingdom. The king of Yemen performed some new maneuvers to strengthen his tie with some of the Najran tribal leaders to counter the strong relations of the people of Najran with Bin Saud. Then in 1932 the forces of Imam Yahiya of Yemen attacked Najran with more than 50,000 troops, with all kinds of new weapons. The Yamis, as the dominant tribe in Najran, along with some other loyalist Najranis started strong resistance against the occupation forces. However, a strong segment of the tribal leaders in Najran sided with the occupying power and some became passive, waiting to take a side at the end of the crisis. Sheikh Jabir Abu sag, the strong man at the time, managed to get quick support from King Abdul Aziz Bin Saud and was able to lead the Yam tribes and all of the Najrani resistance fighting the Yemeni forces in all parts of Najran and Bilad Yam. Later, in the spring of 1934, the Army of Bin Saud under the command of Prince Saud son of Abdul Aziz carried out a massive campaign, surrounding Najran from the north and north west, and defeated the Yemeni Army. Najran became part of Saudi Arabia. In short, though historically a part of Yemen since ancient times, it was annexed by Saudi Arabia.indeed, there was a strong treaty between King Abdulaziz and the people from Najran indicates conditions that have to be respected by the both sides.Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, a son of King Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
, was appointed governor of Najran at the beginning of 2009, replacing Mishaal bin Saud, who had resigned several months earlier.
Archaeological ruins and artifacts
Najran city is famous for its archeological significance. Old Najran was surrounded by a circular wall, 220 by 230 meters, built of square stone with defensive balconies. It contained several unique buildings. There is also a cemetery south of the external wall. Excavations of this site have uncovered glass, metals, pottery, and bronze artifacts. Square and rectangular buildings have also been found. At Al-Ukhdood which is south of Najran city, carvings from those days and human bones can be seen. A museum displays, among other items, a bronze lion head. Najran's landmarks include the "Rass" stone, a 2-meter-high granite stone.Local Football Clubs
- Al-Okdod Club (Arabic: نادي الأخدود) founded in 1975
- Sharora Club (Arabic: نادي شرورة) founded in 1975
- Najran ClubNajran SCNajran Sport Club is a Saudi Arabian football team based in Najran, they are currently playing in the Saudi Premier League.Najran SC achieved promotion to the Saudi Premier League by finishing 2nd in the Saudi First Division during the 2006/07 season....
(Arabic: نادي نجران) founded in 1980
Sports Centers
There are many sports centers and complexes within the city including- Al-Khalidyyah Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الخالدية الرياضي )
- Prince Mishal Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الأمير مشعل )
- Najran Bowling Alley
phone number:
Hospitals and Medical Care
- King Khalid Hospital
- General Psychiatric Hospital
- Najran General Hospital
- Najran Armed Forces Hospital
- MCH Najran
- Al Zafer Hospital
- Al Hayah Hospital
External links
- Travel through the province of Najran, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes
Further reading
- This text is adapted from William MuirWilliam MuirSir William Muir, KCSI was a Scottish Orientalist and colonial administrator.-Life:He was born at Glasgow and educated at Kilmarnock Academy, at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, and at Haileybury College. In 1837 he entered the Bengal Civil Service...
's public domainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall. - Irfan Shahîd, The Martyrs of Najrân. New Documents, Brussels (1971).
- Irfan Shahîd, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, Dumbarton OaksDumbarton OaksDumbarton Oaks is the conventional name for the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, situated on a historic property in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The institution is administered by the Trustees for Harvard University. Its founders, Robert Woods Bliss and his wife...
(1989), ISBN 0884021521. - Hugh Goddard, A History of Christian-Muslim Relations, Edinburgh University PressEdinburgh University PressEdinburgh University Press is a scholarly publisher of academic books and journals, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:Edinburgh University Press was founded over 50 years ago and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh in 1992...
(2000), ISBN 074861009X. - Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Islamic Civilization, Taylor & FrancisTaylor & FrancisTaylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom which publishes books and academic journals. It is a division of Informa plc, a United Kingdom-based publisher and conference company.- Overview :...
(2006), ISBN 0415966922. - Mark A. Caudill, Twilight in the Kingdom, Greenwood Publishing GroupGreenwood Publishing GroupGreenwood Publishing Group is an educational publisher and is part of ABC-CLIO. It publishes reference works under its Greenwood Press imprint, and scholarly, professional, and general interest books under Praeger Publishers...
(2006), ISBN 0275992527. - Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, Adrian Walford, Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, RoutledgeRoutledgeRoutledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
(2001), ISBN 1579582826. - Joel Thomas Walker, The Legend of Mar QardaghMar QardaghMar Qardagh , according to his legend was a Sassanid prince who was martyred for converting to Christianity.-Legend of Mar Qardagh:According to Syriac tradition Qardagh was born to noble family in the Sassanid empire during the 4th century. King Shapur II visited his parents’ estate and was...
, University of California PressUniversity of California PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
(2006), ISBN 0520245784.