Khaybar
The last great ancient oasis
The oasis of Khaybar is located in the Madinah Province, 170 kilometers north of the city of Madinah, in a series of depressions that collects rain waters thanks to which palm trees are grown for millennia. Khaybar is surrounded by the lava fields called "harra(t)", the largest one, the Harrat Khaybar, is called after its name.
Until today Khaybar benefits from permanent water points that surface at the lowest parts of the oasis and a lush vegetation can grow naturally there. From the numerous wells a complex system of irrigation canals is still used today to water the palm trees and offer a unique sight on how could have looked an Arabian oasis two thousand years ago.
Permanent waterpoint at the oasis of Khaybar (photo: Florent Egal)
An ancient oasis
The presence of permanent water points in Khaybar attracted people since millennia as attested by numerous stone structures probably dating back to the Bronze Age. Its location along of the western caravan trade road between Yemen and the Levant, made of Khaybar an important oasis city since the 1st millennium BCE as a stopover between Hegra (Madain Saleh) and Yathrib (Madinah). But the historical importance is also due to two landmark conquests in the history of the Arabian Peninsula that took place there.
The most ancient mention of Khaybar is on the stela of Harran (in today’s Turkey) where are named six oases conquered in 552 BC by Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon. Khaybar appears under the name of Hibra, along with other ancient oases that still exist Tayma, Dedan, Yathrib (today's Madinah), Fadak, and Yadi.
But it is at the beginning of the Islamic era in the year 7 of the Hijri calendar (628 CE) that Khaybar became famous as the last Jewish stronghold conquered by the Muslim troops let by the Prophet Muhammad and his companion Ali.
Here is what Tabari wrote about the battle of Khaybar (I 253): “Khaybar was in the possession of Jews; it is the most solid of their fortress. It was composed of seven forts of different sizes, surrounded by plantations of palm trees. […]
Stela of Harran (Urfa Museum)
Khaybar today
The old village of Khaybar is made of ruins of abandoned buildings whose base (probably more ancient) is built with stones and the upper part is made of mud-bricks. Mosques, shops, houses and palaces that were inhabited until the seventies are still standing today.
Old houses surrounding the oasis of Khaybar (photo: Florent Egal)
The cultivated area is at the bottom of the basin and is overlooked by several rock peaks where old fortifications and villages were built, which matches the description of Tabari. Those natural promontories offers great visibility on the oasis, especially the one in the center of the oasis where is the main fort of Khaybar.
One of the promontories overlooking the oasis of Khaybar (photo: Martin Beuvelot)
Because of its irregular terrain exposed to floods, the modern city was built few hundred meters to the south on a flat land. As a result the oasis with its irrigated palm trees and old houses still probably looks like it was several hundred years ago. Therefore, climbing one of its rock peaks and looking over the oasis offers the experience of traveling back in the time of ancient Arabian oases and the caravan trade roads.
The oasis of Khaybar from its Fort (photo: Martin Beuvelot)
How to visit Khyabar
The site of the ancient city of Khyabar is available on Google Maps. It is easily accessible from the road between Tayma and Madinah that passes nearby and a side road leads to a square of the old town where cars can be parked. Until now it is not officially allowed to visit Khaybar and the police may ask the visitors not to enter deep inside the site but it is so large that it is possible to enjoy one of the many beautiful viewpoints from the distance.
