Where is the city of Tantura located in Saudi Arabia, a question a lot poses when they come to the Kingdom, because it is one of the cities that we must know a lot about because of its historical importance, but first the city of Tantura is located in the west of the Arabian Peninsula, and it belongs to the city of Medina from an administrative point of view, and is away from The city of Tabuk is about 250 km, and for the city of Khaybar, the distance between them reaches 200 km.
What distinguishes this city historically is that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came down to it during the Battle of Tabuk, and found a place to build a mosque that the people of the city later built and named it “The Grand Mosque”, With a population of about 55 million people, as for its area it reaches about 29,261 square kilometers, and it is the first city in terms of area of the city area.
So when you come to the Kingdom you have to come to visit to see it and see what places it contains that make it historically distinguished.
But that will first need to know in the Arab travelers more about the reason for its name and a lot of other information that might surprise you about that city.
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Why was it called tantura or al-Ula?
- This city is located mainly in a fertile valley between two large mountains, where the agricultural profession is active, and the various crops of fruits and palms are cultivated.
- It is said to have been named after Al-Ula because it was located on a site with fresh water eyes The Suspense And “Do it” There were many tall palm trees in the eye of the commentator, which they called “Ali.”
- As for the reason for calling it Tantura, this comes from the city containing about 40 freshwater eyes, and its residents were working to distribute the shares of that water through a system called Solar Clock Or a name “Tantura”, Hence it was called this.
- It is worth noting that the solar clock or tantura is a watch that was located on a high place on the roofs of monumental buildings because it is considered part of the heritage, and the residents used it to determine the seasons of the year, the most prominent of which is winter.
Why is it considered one of the most important cities in Saudi Arabia historically?
- The city of Tantura contains many ancient and distinctive monuments, as it dates back to more than 300 years.
- Many Muslim travelers, including Ibn Battuta, visited this city, in addition to foreign explorers, most notably James Cook, who did a study on it in a book he called “The Northern Semitic Writings”.
- This city contains many distinguished Islamic monuments, the most prominent of them “The Islamic Stone Castle” This place in the past was considered as a break for pilgrims.
- Among the most prominent Islamic monuments in the city as well “Qasr Musa bin Naseer” Which he built himself on top of the highest mountain in it.
- Beside “Old town” It contains many mosques and ancient walls beside Al Hijaz Railway Station, In addition to the solar clock that we mentioned before.
Tantura Al-Ula Festival
- Because that city is one of the most prominent tourist places in Saudi Arabia, because it contains historical monuments dating back thousands of years, in addition to its distinctive natural scenery, so the state will hold a festival called “Winter of Tantura” It is dedicated to talking more about that city, both tourist and historical.
- This festival is held once a year, and it is organized by the Royal Commission for the province, and allows the visitor to know many places of the city, most notably the spice market, which contains many handicrafts made by its residents, along with other arts of music and sculpture.
How far is Al Ula from Madain Saleh
- Madain Saleh is located 220 km northeast of the city of Al-Ula.
- It is worth noting that Madain Saleh is called “Stone”, And the people of Thamud, to whom God sent the Prophet to invite them to worship him, lived there.
- It contains many ancient historical places, which are represented by ancient ruins and rock inscriptions, and about 131 burials.
- Many historical palaces also include the most notable of the unique palace, the old man and the girl, next to the Diwan Temple.
