Najran: Difference between revisions
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| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Najran Governorate |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/najran/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> |
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Najran Governorate |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/najran/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> |
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'''Najran''' ({{ |
'''Najran''' ({{langx|ar|نجران}} ''{{transl|ar|ALA|Najrān}}''), is a city in southwestern [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is the capital of [[Najran Province]]. Designated as a [[new town]], Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom. Its population grew from 47,500 in 1974 to 90,983 in 1992, 246,880 in 2004, and 381,431 in 2021. The city's population mostly originates from the ancient tribes of Hamdan (Wailh & Yam). |
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Najranis are Muslims, with [[Isma'ilism|Ismailis]] forming a plurality. [[Hanbali]], [[Shafi'i]], and [[Maliki]] [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] form the second-largest religious group in the city |
Najranis are Muslims, with [[Isma'ilism|Ismailis]] forming a plurality. [[Hanbali]], [[Shafi'i]], and [[Maliki]] [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] form the second-largest religious group in the city. |
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The [[Arabic]] term ''{{transl|ar|ALA|Najrān}}'' |
The [[Arabic]] term ''{{transl|ar|ALA|Najrān}}'' meaning: As Local tradition claims that the land derived its name from the first man to settle in the area, Najran ibn Yahjub ibn Yarub ibn Qahtan ibn houd. |
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Najran was a centre of cloth |
Najran was a centre of cloth-making, and the ''kiswah,'' or the cloth of the [[Ka'aba]], was originally made there. Najran were always a center for religious beliefs, following the three main religions consecutively. Firstly, A Jewish community then later on A Christian community existed in Najran. According to [[Najran Jews|Najran Jewish]] tradition, the Jews of Najran traced their origin to the [[Ten Lost Tribes|Ten Tribes]]. Najran was also an important stopping hub on the [[incense trade route]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Early history=== |
===Early history=== |
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The history of Najrān can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. It was once occupied by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]]; in fact, it was the first [[Saudi]] |
The history of Najrān can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. It was once occupied by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]]; in fact, it was the first [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] city to fall to the Romans on their way to the kingdom of [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi']]. Najrān's most prosperous trading time was during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient times it was known as [[Al-Ukhdūd]].{{cn|date=May 2024}} |
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Similar to other ancient place names in Arabia, Najrān 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-Ukhdūd", which may have been the central town, probably corresponds to Ramat. |
Similar to other ancient place names in Arabia, Najrān 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-Ukhdūd", which may have been the central town, probably corresponds to Ramat. |
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According to Greek and Roman sources, Najrān was a focal point of the [[Incense Route]]. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najrān, where the routes branched into two general directions |
According to Greek and Roman sources, Najrān was a focal point of the [[Incense Route]]. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najrān, where the routes branched into two general directions: ones leading north through the [[Hijaz|Ḥijāz]] towards Egypt and the [[Levant]], and those leading to the northeast towards [[Gerrha]] near the [[Persian Gulf]].<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/pss/614822 Description] in A. F. L. Beeston "Some Observations on Greek and Latin Data Relating to South Arabia" |
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in ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'', University of London, Vol. 42, No. 1 (1979), pp. 7–12; online at [https://www.jstor.org JSTOR]</ref> |
in ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'', University of London, Vol. 42, No. 1 (1979), pp. 7–12; online at [https://www.jstor.org JSTOR]</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The Roman prefect of Egypt [[Aelius Gallus]] led a costly, arduous, and ultimately unsuccessful expedition to conquer [[Arabia Felix]], and won a battle near Najrān in 25 BC. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the Sabaean capital at [[Ma'rib]]. This is according to [[Strabo]],<ref>Strabo, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/16D*.html Book XVI, Chapter 4, 22–24] ''The Geography of Strabo'', published in Vol. VII of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1932; online at [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/home.html Lacus Curtius]</ref> who called it 'Negrana'. |
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Najrān was conquered around 685 BC by the [[Sabaeans|Sabean]] [[Mukarrib]] (King) Karib'il Watar I King of Yemen. The later Sabean king Yithi'amar Bayin destroyed RagHmat around 510 BC. Najrān 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. |
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| ⚫ | When the [[Himyarite Kingdom|Ḥimyarites]] conquered the Sabeans in AD 280, they probably also took control of Najrān. Sometime during the 3rd century, the people of Najrān sided with the Abyssinians, who sent a governor named Sqlmqlm in inscriptions. The Ḥimyar King Ilsharah Yahdib crushed this rebellion.{{cn|date=May 2024}} |
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| ⚫ | The Roman prefect of Egypt [[Aelius Gallus]] led a costly, arduous and ultimately unsuccessful expedition to conquer [[Arabia Felix]] and won a battle near Najrān in 25 BC. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the Sabaean capital at [[Ma'rib]]. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | When the [[Himyarite Kingdom|Ḥimyarites]] conquered the Sabeans in AD 280 they probably also took control of Najrān. Sometime during the 3rd century, the people of Najrān sided with the Abyssinians who sent a governor named Sqlmqlm |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
===Early Christian community=== |
===Early Christian community=== |
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{{Main|Christian community of Najran}} |
{{Main|Christian community of Najran}} |
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[[Christianity]] |
[[Christianity]] was likely introduced into Najrān, as in the rest of South Arabia, in the 5th century AD or perhaps a century earlier. According to the [[Arab people|Arab]] [[Historiography of early Islam|Muslim historian]] [[Ibn Ishaq|Ibn Isḥāq]], Najrān was the first place where Christianity took root in South Arabia.{{cn|date=May 2024}} |
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According to |
According to contemporary sources, after seizing the throne of the Ḥimyarites in ca. 518 or 523, [[Dhu Nuwas|Dhū Nuwās]], a Jewish king,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/historians-back-bbc-over-jewish-massacre-claim| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090928001337/http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/historians-back-bbc-over-jewish-massacre-claim| archive-date = 2009-09-28| title = Historians back BBC over Jewish massacre claim {{!}} The Jewish Chronicle}} </ref> attacked the mainly Christian [[Kingdom of Aksum|Aksumite]] garrison at [[Zafar, Yemen|Zafar]], capturing it and burning its churches. He then moved against Najrān, 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.{{cn|date=May 2024}} A surviving letter (where he is called ''Dimnon'') written by [[Simeon of Beth Arsham|Simeon]], the bishop of [[Beth Arsham]] in 524 AD, recounts Dhū Nuwās's persecution in Najrān (modern al-Ukhdūd in [[Saudi Arabia]]).<ref>Simon's letter is part of Part III of ''The Chronicle of Zuqnin'', translated by Amir Harrack (Toronto: [[Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies]], 1999), pp. 78-84.</ref> The massacre is also recounted in a celebratory manner in an inscription ([[Ja 1028]]) commissioned by one of the army commanders of Dhu Nuwas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Lindstedt |first=Ilkka |title=Muhammad and his followers in context: the religious map of late antique Arabia |date=2023 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-68712-7 |series=Islamic history and civilization |location=Leiden Boston |pages=74–75}}</ref> |
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According to the ''Siyar of ash-Shaybani'', the Christians of |
According to the ''Siyar of ash-Shaybani'', the Christians of Najrān made an agreement to pay Muhammad an annual tribute of 2,000 pieces of clothing, in return for which they were promised protection. The agreement was renewed under the caliphs Abū Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab.<ref>Majid Khadduri: The Islamic Law of Nations: Shaybānī's Siyar. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press 1966. S. 278–280</ref> In 641, however, the Christians of Najrān were accused of usury and ordered to leave the city.<ref> Leone Caetani: Annali dell' Islam. Bd. IV. Milano 1911. S. 354–359</ref> Under the reign of the [[Umar|Caliph ‘Umar]], the Christian community of Najrān was deported to Mesopotamia, where they settled near Kufa in a place they called Najānīya. In the following period, Najrān lost its importance.<ref>Hitti, Phillip. History of the Arabs from the Earliest Time to the Present. New York: Macmillan, 1951. p. 61</ref> According to the report of Ibn al-Mujavir, however, Jews and Christians still made up two thirds of the population of Najran in the 13th century.{{cn|date=May 2024}} |
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===Former Jewish community=== |
===Former Jewish community=== |
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Najrān had a Jewish community dating back to pre-Islamic times, historically affiliated with the [[Banu al-Harith]], who were [[Yemenite Jews]] that had conquered the city and ruled until the Christian invasion of Yemen.<ref>Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 5)</ref> With the Saudi conquest of Najrān in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najrān fled south to [[Aden]] between September and October 1949. The Saudi king [[ibn Saud]] demanded their return, but the Yemeni king [[Ahmad bin Yahya|Aḥmad bin Yaḥyá]] refused because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Ḥashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to [[Israel]] as part of the larger [[Operation Magic Carpet (Yemen)|Operation Magic Carpet]].<ref>Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 271)</ref> |
Najrān had a Jewish community dating back to pre-Islamic times, historically affiliated with the [[Banu al-Harith]], who were [[Yemenite Jews]] that had conquered the city and ruled until the Christian invasion of Yemen.<ref>Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 5)</ref> With the Saudi conquest of Najrān in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najrān fled south to [[Aden]] between September and October 1949. The Saudi king [[ibn Saud]] demanded their return, but the Yemeni king [[Ahmad bin Yahya|Aḥmad bin Yaḥyá]] refused because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Ḥashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to [[Israel]] as part of the larger [[Operation Magic Carpet (Yemen)|Operation Magic Carpet]].<ref>Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 271)</ref> |
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Some groups of |
Some groups of Najrān Jews escaped to [[Cochin State|Cochin]], as they had a very good relationship with its rulers and maintained trade connections with [[Paradesi Jews]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-27-no-20/the-last-family-of-pardesi-jews-in-madras/|title=The last family of Pardesi Jews in Madras « Madras Musings | We Care for Madras that is Chennai|date=9 February 2018}}</ref> |
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===Najran as part of Saudi Arabia=== |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2011}} |
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Najrān joined the newly announced Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1934 as a result of the efforts and struggles of Shaikh Jābir Abū Sāq, the leader of a large clan of the Yam tribe. Starting in 1924, the forces of the former Yemeni king launched several unsuccessful raids to annex Najrān to the Yemeni Kingdom. The king of Yemen performed some new maneuvers to strengthen his tie with some of the Najrān tribal leaders to counter the strong relations of the people of Najrān with Bin Saūd. Then in 1932, the forces of King Yahya of Yemen attacked Najrān with more than 50,000 troops, with many kinds of new weapons. Yām, as the dominant tribe in Najrān, along with some other loyalist Najranis, started strong resistance against the occupation forces. However, a strong segment of the tribal leaders in Najrān sided with the Yemenis and some became passive, waiting to take a side at the end of the crisis. Sheikh Jābir Abū Sāq, the head of Al Fatema clan of Yām at the time, managed to get quick support from King Abd al-Azīz Bin Saūd and was able to lead the Yām tribe and all of the Najrānī resistance fighting the Yemeni forces in all parts of Najrān and Bilād Yām. Later, in the spring of 1934, the army of Bin Saʻud under the command of Prince Saʻūd son of ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz carried out a massive campaign, surrounding Najrān from the north and northwest, and defeated the Yemeni army. Najrān became part of Saudi Arabia. In short, Najran has always been independent and ruled by its people (Yam) but they choose to be annexed to the New Kingdom. Indeed, there was a strong treaty between King ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz and the people from Najrān indicating conditions to be respected by both sides. |
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===Issues with the Ismaili community=== |
===Issues with the Ismaili community=== |
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The [[Tayyibi Isma'ilism|Ismailis]], a religious and ethnic minority with historic roots in [[Najran Province|Najrān Province]] of southwestern Saudi Arabia, face increasing threats to their identity as a result of official discrimination |
The [[Tayyibi Isma'ilism|Ismailis]], a religious and ethnic minority with historic roots in [[Najran Province|Najrān Province]] of southwestern Saudi Arabia, face increasing threats to their identity as a result of official discrimination. Official discrimination in Saudi Arabia against Ismāʻīlīs encompasses government employment, religious practices, and the justice system. Government officials exclude Ismāʻīlīs from decision making and publicly disparage their faith.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Ismāʻīlīs of Najrān. Second-class Saudi citizens|url=https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/saudiarabia0908web.pdf|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=April 16, 2012|year=2008}}</ref> |
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With the arrival of [[Mishaal bin Saud|Mishʻal bin Suʻūd]] as the governor of Najrān in 1996, tensions between local authorities and the Ismaʻili population increased, culminating in a watershed confrontation between armed Ismaʻili demonstrators and police and army units outside Najrān's Holiday Inn hotel on April 23, 2000. Three months earlier, police had closed all [[Tayyibi Isma'ilism|Tayyibi]] Ismaʻili [[mosque]]s on a religious holiday. On April 23, after security forces and religious morality police arrested an Ismāʻīlī cleric, a large demonstration took place outside the Holiday Inn, where Governor Mishʻal resided. After the governor refused for hours to meet the petitioners, an exchange of fire between security forces and armed demonstrators left two Ismāʻīlīs dead and, according to some government accounts, killed one policeman as well.{{cn|date=May 2024}} Believing their religious identity to be under attack, Ismāʻili men erected defences around [[Khushaywah]], the seat of the Ismaʻili religious leader [[Da'i al-Mutlaq]]. Khushaywah, which includes the Manṣūrah Mosque complex, was also the spiritual capital of [[Sulaymani]] Ismaʻilis, a community with followers in [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] as well as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The army surrounded the Ismaʻili positions and placed the city under its control. The standoff ended later the same day without further bloodshed.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Ismailis of Najran. Second-class Saudi citizens|url=https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/saudiarabia0908web.pdf|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=April 16, 2012|year=2008}}</ref> |
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==Archaeology== |
==Archaeology== |
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=== Topography=== |
=== Topography=== |
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Najran |
Najran has three different geographic landscapes: oases, mountains, and the desert (on its eastern side).{{cn|date=May 2024}} |
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===Climate=== |
===Climate=== |
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Najran has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWh''), typical of the Arabian Peninsula. |
Najran has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWh''), typical of the Arabian Peninsula. Rainfall is very sporadic, and consists of light individual rainfall.{{cn|date=May 2024}} Despite its location in far southern Saudi Arabia, Najran's average temperature is approximately {{convert|3.3|C-change|F-change|1|disp=or}} cooler than that of the Saudi capital [[Riyadh]], due to it being {{convert|700|m|ft|-1|disp=or}} higher in altitude. |
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{{Weather box |
{{Weather box |
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*International Medical Complex |
*International Medical Complex |
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* Al Masa dental center |
* Al Masa dental center |
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==Hotels== |
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* Park Inn by Radisson Najran |
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* Happy Day Inn |
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* Hyatt Najran |
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* Holiday Inn |
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* Al-Okhdood |
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* Najran Crown |
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* Najran Hotel |
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* Ramada Hotel |
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* Snob hotel |
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* Gloria Inn |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, Adrian Walford, ''Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages'', [[Routledge]] (2001), {{ISBN|1-57958-282-6}}. |
* Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, Adrian Walford, ''Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages'', [[Routledge]] (2001), {{ISBN|1-57958-282-6}}. |
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* Joel Thomas Walker, ''The Legend of [[Mar Qardagh]]'', [[University of California Press]] (2006), {{ISBN|0-520-24578-4}}. |
* Joel Thomas Walker, ''The Legend of [[Mar Qardagh]]'', [[University of California Press]] (2006), {{ISBN|0-520-24578-4}}. |
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* J. Sarmiento, ''Los Mártires no olvidados de Arabia: San Aretas y sus compañeros'' (Spanish version): Editorial S.A. (2023). |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:Saudi Arabia–Yemen border crossings]] |
[[Category:Saudi Arabia–Yemen border crossings]] |
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[[Category:Provincial capitals of Saudi Arabia]] |
[[Category:Provincial capitals of Saudi Arabia]] |
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[[Category:Cities in Saudi Arabia]] |
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Latest revision as of 15:25, 26 October 2024
Najran | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Najran Fort | |
  Najran Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | |
| Coordinates: 17°29′30″N 44°7′56″E / 17.49167°N 44.13222°E | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Region | Najran |
| Established | 2000 BC |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Faris al-Shafaq |
| • Provincial Governor | Jiluwi bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Elevation | 1,293 m (4,242 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[1] | |
• City | 442,000 |
| • Metro | 421,902 (Najran Governorate) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 |
| Area code | (+966) 17 |
| Website | www |
Najran (Arabic: نجران Najrān), is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated as a new town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom. Its population grew from 47,500 in 1974 to 90,983 in 1992, 246,880 in 2004, and 381,431 in 2021. The city's population mostly originates from the ancient tribes of Hamdan (Wailh & Yam).
Najranis are Muslims, with Ismailis forming a plurality. Hanbali, Shafi'i, and Maliki Sunnis form the second-largest religious group in the city.
The Arabic term Najrān meaning: As Local tradition claims that the land derived its name from the first man to settle in the area, Najran ibn Yahjub ibn Yarub ibn Qahtan ibn houd.
Najran was a centre of cloth-making, and the kiswah, or the cloth of the Ka'aba, was originally made there. Najran were always a center for religious beliefs, following the three main religions consecutively. Firstly, A Jewish community then later on A Christian community existed in Najran. According to Najran Jewish tradition, the Jews of Najran traced their origin to the Ten Tribes. Najran was also an important stopping hub on the incense trade route.
History
[edit]
Early history
[edit]The history of Najrān can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. It was once occupied by the Romans; in fact, it was the first Saudi city to fall to the Romans on their way to the kingdom of Saudi'. Najrān's most prosperous trading time was during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient times it was known as Al-Ukhdūd.[citation needed]
Similar to other ancient place names in Arabia, Najrān 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-Ukhdūd", which may have been the central town, probably corresponds to Ramat.
According to Greek and Roman sources, Najrān was a focal point of the Incense Route. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najrān, where the routes branched into two general directions: ones leading north through the Ḥijāz towards Egypt and the Levant, and those leading to the northeast towards Gerrha near the Persian Gulf.[2]
The Roman prefect of Egypt Aelius Gallus led a costly, arduous, and ultimately unsuccessful expedition to conquer Arabia Felix, and won a battle near Najrān in 25 BC. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the Sabaean capital at Ma'rib. This is according to Strabo,[3] who called it 'Negrana'.
When the Ḥimyarites conquered the Sabeans in AD 280, they probably also took control of Najrān. Sometime during the 3rd century, the people of Najrān sided with the Abyssinians, who sent a governor named Sqlmqlm in inscriptions. The Ḥimyar King Ilsharah Yahdib crushed this rebellion.[citation needed]
The north Arabian Lakhmid king Imru’ al-Qays ibn 'Amqu attacked Najrān in AD 328. Under the influence of Axum, the Christians in Najrān thrived and started an alliance with Aksum again at the beginning of the 6th century.[citation needed]
The town of Najrān was already an important centre of arms manufacture during the lifetime of Muhammad. However, it was more famous for leather rather than iron.[citation needed]
Early Christian community
[edit]Christianity was likely introduced into Najrān, as in the rest of South Arabia, in the 5th century AD or perhaps a century earlier. According to the Arab Muslim historian Ibn Isḥāq, Najrān was the first place where Christianity took root in South Arabia.[citation needed] According to contemporary sources, after seizing the throne of the Ḥimyarites in ca. 518 or 523, Dhū Nuwās, a Jewish king,[4] attacked the mainly Christian Aksumite garrison at Zafar, capturing it and burning its churches. He then moved against Najrān, 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.[citation needed] A surviving letter (where he is called Dimnon) written by Simeon, the bishop of Beth Arsham in 524 AD, recounts Dhū Nuwās's persecution in Najrān (modern al-Ukhdūd in Saudi Arabia).[5] The massacre is also recounted in a celebratory manner in an inscription (Ja 1028) commissioned by one of the army commanders of Dhu Nuwas.[6]
According to the Siyar of ash-Shaybani, the Christians of Najrān made an agreement to pay Muhammad an annual tribute of 2,000 pieces of clothing, in return for which they were promised protection. The agreement was renewed under the caliphs Abū Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab.[7] In 641, however, the Christians of Najrān were accused of usury and ordered to leave the city.[8] Under the reign of the Caliph ‘Umar, the Christian community of Najrān was deported to Mesopotamia, where they settled near Kufa in a place they called Najānīya. In the following period, Najrān lost its importance.[9] According to the report of Ibn al-Mujavir, however, Jews and Christians still made up two thirds of the population of Najran in the 13th century.[citation needed]
Former Jewish community
[edit]
Najrān had a Jewish community dating back to pre-Islamic times, historically affiliated with the Banu al-Harith, who were Yemenite Jews that had conquered the city and ruled until the Christian invasion of Yemen.[10] With the Saudi conquest of Najrān in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najrān fled south to Aden between September and October 1949. The Saudi king ibn Saud demanded their return, but the Yemeni king Aḥmad bin Yaḥyá refused because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Ḥashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to Israel as part of the larger Operation Magic Carpet.[11]
Some groups of Najrān Jews escaped to Cochin, as they had a very good relationship with its rulers and maintained trade connections with Paradesi Jews.[12]
Issues with the Ismaili community
[edit]The Ismailis, a religious and ethnic minority with historic roots in Najrān Province of southwestern Saudi Arabia, face increasing threats to their identity as a result of official discrimination. Official discrimination in Saudi Arabia against Ismāʻīlīs encompasses government employment, religious practices, and the justice system. Government officials exclude Ismāʻīlīs from decision making and publicly disparage their faith.[13]
With the arrival of Mishʻal bin Suʻūd as the governor of Najrān in 1996, tensions between local authorities and the Ismaʻili population increased, culminating in a watershed confrontation between armed Ismaʻili demonstrators and police and army units outside Najrān's Holiday Inn hotel on April 23, 2000. Three months earlier, police had closed all Tayyibi Ismaʻili mosques on a religious holiday. On April 23, after security forces and religious morality police arrested an Ismāʻīlī cleric, a large demonstration took place outside the Holiday Inn, where Governor Mishʻal resided. After the governor refused for hours to meet the petitioners, an exchange of fire between security forces and armed demonstrators left two Ismāʻīlīs dead and, according to some government accounts, killed one policeman as well.[citation needed] Believing their religious identity to be under attack, Ismāʻili men erected defences around Khushaywah, the seat of the Ismaʻili religious leader Da'i al-Mutlaq. Khushaywah, which includes the Manṣūrah Mosque complex, was also the spiritual capital of Sulaymani Ismaʻilis, a community with followers in India and Pakistan as well as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The army surrounded the Ismaʻili positions and placed the city under its control. The standoff ended later the same day without further bloodshed.[14]
Archaeology
[edit]
Najrān city is famous for its archeological significance. Old Najrān was surrounded by a circular wall,[when?] 220 by 230 meters, built of square stone with defensive balconies. It contained several unique buildings. There is also a cemetery[when?] 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-Ukhdūd which is south of Najrān city, carvings from those days[when?] and human bones can be seen. A museum displays, among other items, a bronze lion head.[when?] Najrān's landmarks include the "Rass" stone,[when?] a 2-meter-high granite stone.[15][clarification needed]
Geography
[edit]Topography
[edit]Najran has three different geographic landscapes: oases, mountains, and the desert (on its eastern side).[citation needed]
Climate
[edit]Najran has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh), typical of the Arabian Peninsula. Rainfall is very sporadic, and consists of light individual rainfall.[citation needed] Despite its location in far southern Saudi Arabia, Najran's average temperature is approximately 3.3 °C or 5.9 °F cooler than that of the Saudi capital Riyadh, due to it being 700 metres or 2,300 feet higher in altitude.
| Climate data for Najran Domestic Airport (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36.0 (96.8) |
38.4 (101.1) |
39.4 (102.9) |
40.0 (104.0) |
42.0 (107.6) |
43.0 (109.4) |
44.0 (111.2) |
43.0 (109.4) |
42.0 (107.6) |
38.0 (100.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.2 (79.2) |
29.2 (84.6) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.6 (94.3) |
37.5 (99.5) |
39.4 (102.9) |
39.8 (103.6) |
39.6 (103.3) |
37.3 (99.1) |
32.6 (90.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
26.4 (79.5) |
33.6 (92.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.0 (75.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.9 (89.4) |
33.2 (91.8) |
32.6 (90.7) |
29.7 (85.5) |
24.7 (76.5) |
20.9 (69.6) |
18.0 (64.4) |
25.9 (78.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.8 (76.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
17.5 (63.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
3.0 (37.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.0 (59.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
3.5 (38.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
1.0 (33.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.9 (0.11) |
0.9 (0.04) |
15.0 (0.59) |
20.1 (0.79) |
10.5 (0.41) |
3.0 (0.12) |
3.7 (0.15) |
10.7 (0.42) |
0.1 (0.00) |
4.7 (0.19) |
1.7 (0.07) |
0.5 (0.02) |
74.1 (2.92) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.5 |
| Source: NOAA[16] | |||||||||||||
Education
[edit]Colleges and universities
[edit]Najran is home to Najran University and Najran College of Technology.
Sports
[edit]Local football clubs
[edit]- Al-Okdod Club (Arabic: نادي الأخدود) founded in 1976
- Sharora Club (Arabic: نادي شرورة) founded in 1975
- Najran SC (Arabic: نادي نجران) founded in 1980
Sports centers
[edit]There are many sports centers and complexes within the city including:
- Khldiat Al-Janob Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الخالدية الرياضي )
- Prince Mishal Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الأمير مشعل )
- Najran Bowling Alley
Hospitals and medical care
[edit]- King Khalid Hospital
- Najran General Hospital
- Maternity & Children's Hospital Najran
- Najran Armed Forces Hospital
- General Psychiatric Hospital
- Al Zafer Hospital
- Al Hayah Hospital
- Al Qadi Specialty Hospital
- Al Shefa Medical Hospital
- International Medical Complex
- Al Masa dental center
See also
[edit]
Further reading
[edit]- Irfan Shahîd, The Martyrs of Najrân. New Documents, Brussels (1971).
- Irfan Shahîd, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, Dumbarton Oaks (1989), ISBN 0-88402-152-1.
- Hugh Goddard, A History of Christian-Muslim Relations, Edinburgh University Press (2000), ISBN 0-7486-1009-X.
- Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Islamic Civilization, Taylor & Francis (2006), ISBN 0-415-96692-2.
- Mark A. Caudill, Twilight in the Kingdom, Greenwood Publishing Group (2006), ISBN 0-275-99252-7.
- Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, Adrian Walford, Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Routledge (2001), ISBN 1-57958-282-6.
- Joel Thomas Walker, The Legend of Mar Qardagh, University of California Press (2006), ISBN 0-520-24578-4.
- J. Sarmiento, Los Mártires no olvidados de Arabia: San Aretas y sus compañeros (Spanish version): Editorial S.A. (2023).
References
[edit]- ^ "Najran Governorate". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Description in A. F. L. Beeston "Some Observations on Greek and Latin Data Relating to South Arabia" in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 42, No. 1 (1979), pp. 7–12; online at JSTOR
- ^ Strabo, Book XVI, Chapter 4, 22–24 The Geography of Strabo, published in Vol. VII of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1932; online at Lacus Curtius
- ^ "Historians back BBC over Jewish massacre claim | The Jewish Chronicle". Archived from the original on 2009-09-28.
- ^ Simon's letter is part of Part III of The Chronicle of Zuqnin, translated by Amir Harrack (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 1999), pp. 78-84.
- ^ Lindstedt, Ilkka (2023). Muhammad and his followers in context: the religious map of late antique Arabia. Islamic history and civilization. Leiden Boston: Brill. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-90-04-68712-7.
- ^ Majid Khadduri: The Islamic Law of Nations: Shaybānī's Siyar. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press 1966. S. 278–280
- ^ Leone Caetani: Annali dell' Islam. Bd. IV. Milano 1911. S. 354–359
- ^ Hitti, Phillip. History of the Arabs from the Earliest Time to the Present. New York: Macmillan, 1951. p. 61
- ^ Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 5)
- ^ Gilbert, Martin, "In Ishmael's House", 2000, (p. 271)
- ^ "The last family of Pardesi Jews in Madras « Madras Musings | We Care for Madras that is Chennai". 9 February 2018.
- ^ "The Ismāʻīlīs of Najrān. Second-class Saudi citizens" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Ismailis of Najran. Second-class Saudi citizens" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "Najran". nabataea.net.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Najran". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.
External links
[edit]- Travel through the province of Najran, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes
17°29′30″N 44°7′56″E / 17.49167°N 44.13222°E
 Main Saudi Arabian cities by population | |
|---|---|
| 1,000,000 and more | |
| 300,000-999,999 | |
| <300,000 | |
Source: cdsi.gov.sa | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
