Dhat al-Hajj

Dhat al-Hajj was the first station of the Syrian Hajj road inside what is now Saudi Arabia, on the route from Damascus to Madinah. The Ottomans built a fort…
Dhat al-Hajj was the first station of the Syrian Hajj road inside what is now Saudi Arabia, on the route from Damascus to Madinah. The Ottomans built a fort and a pool here to guard the wells and serve the caravans. The forts of the route stored provisions, including food for the pilgrims' return journey, and gave shelter to the poor, to lost travellers and to those separated from their caravans. The fort stands near the village of Dhat al-Hajj, north of Tabuk close to the Jordanian border. It is one of the sites of the Syrian Hajj Road, which Saudi Arabia has placed on UNESCO's Tentative List.