A coveted high land of religion and scent

Ta'if (also written Taif) is a city located less than 100 kilometers east of Makkah but at 1800 meters of altitude, in a valley on the eastern side of the Hejaz mountains. The millennia old city lays at the crossroads of two of the most important historical roads of the Arabian Peninsula: the frankincense road that originated in Yemen more than 3000 years ago, and the pilgrimage road to Makkah whose Ka'aba was already a place of worshiping before the advent of Islam and which hosts today the largest pilgrimage in the world.

Natural wonders of Taif

Nowadays the smell of incense no longer perfumes the street of Taif but another scent has ensured the continued celebrity of the region.

A summer destination

Taif is also a favorite summer destination for Saudis looking for the pleasant weather offered by the altitude while most of the Arabian Peninsula endures suffocating heat.

For its cooler climate and fertile land the region earned its title of "Garden of the Hejaz” whose beauty can be admired in the Al-Hada natural reserve and the village of Ash-Shafa perched at 2200 above sea level. Taif's highest point, the Jebel Daka is even the fifth highest peak of Saudi Arabia.

A cable car station starting at Al-Kurr water-park village leads to the the top of Al-Hada Mountain which includes a restaurant and hotel with a great view on the surrounding valley and massif.

High mountains around Taif have also become a favorite place for climbers who can practice their favorite sport in Al-Hada, Al-Shifa, Bani Saad, Thaqif, Bal-Harith, Bani Malik, and other close locations.

History of Taif

Ancient times

The ancient human presence in Taif is attested by rock art engraved in a site located at the eastern entrance of the modern city of Taif.

The strategic location of Taif at the crossroads of the Hejaz's trade and pilgrimage roads made of it a very disputed placed that saw many different rulers. This location on ancient travels route is still visible today along the 4 kilometers of the Kara ancient road. It is divided into two parts, the first one for pedestrians and the second for the animals. About 1700m of this Road have been restored and rehabilitated by Taif branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.

Souq Okaz

At the crossing of those two routes was the famous market called Souq Okaz that still exists today. This famous pre-Islamic gathering place was a scene for annual social, political and commercial gatherings, but also the location of competitive recitation of poetry and prose.

The building’s remains include prominent outlines of walls of basaltic stones but the main attraction is the 10 700 square meters of iconic patterned membrane of the Souk Okaz Public Theatre where a festival revives since 2008 the local tradition of public art.

The Muslim conquest

The first famous conquest of the city took place in 631 CE after Makkah and Tabuk were seized by Muslims armies.

The Ottoman conquest

Taif was incorporated to the Ottoman Empire in 1517 along with the Hejaz after the troops of Selim I conquered the Mamluk Sultanate. In order to keep control upon the area they built a fort near the Souq Okaz, at the crossing of the main travel routes.

The city remained Ottoman until 1802 year when it was conquered by troops allied to the House of Saud that would afterwards seized Makkah and Madinah. The loss of the Holy Cities was a blow to the Ottoman sultan Mahmud II who called upon his nominal viceroy in Egypt Muhammad Ali who launched an attack on the Hejaz and reconquered Ta'if in 1813.

In 1843 the Ottomans refurbished the castle, in 1869 the military barracks and a hükumet konagi - a mansion for government business – was built, and a post office was established sometime later.

European explorers in Taif

The same year (1813) the Swiss traveler and orientalist Johann Ludwig Burkhardt visited Taif just after its recapture by Muhammad Ali that he could even interview.

When Burckhardt visited Taif the city was a storehouse for coffee and its population was still mostly Thaqif, a tribe that attests the continuity of human presence in the area as it believed to have lived there for at least 1 500 years.

The Saudi conquest

In 1916, the Hashemites, a tribe who originates from the same family than the Prophet Muhammad launched a revolt against the Ottoman Empire in Makkah in June and took Ta’if in September. The city thus later became a part of the self-proclaimed Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz. But the city was retaken just 10 years later by the Ikhwans allied to the House of Saud and in 1926 Abdulaziz Al-Saud was officially recognized as the new king of Hejaz. Ta'if remained a part of the Kingdom of Hejaz until Abdulaziz Al-Saud unified his two kingdoms into one under the title of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

The king Abdulaziz Al-Saud and his Cabinet used to settle in Ta'if during the summer to seek for the milder climate of the area. His residence was the Shubra Palace that was then the siege of the Saudi rule for few months a year. This architectural masterpiece of Ta'if was built in 1905 with a unique style made of recent and ancient western and Arabic influences.

Shubra was used as the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, and in 1995 it was turned into one of the most important museums in the Kingdom.Also, it was used as the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, and in 1995 it was turned into one of the most important museums in the Kingdom.

How to visit Ta'if

Guides providing tours in Ta'if