Al-Mabiyat, the Islamic site of Qurh

History

Al-Mabiyat is also called Qurh (Saudipedia). It was an Islamic town, surrounded by a wall with three entrances and overlooked by a fort. It covers about 640,000 m².

According to Saudipedia, the town was inhabited from the 2nd to the 6th century AH. It was a trading stop on the Syrian pilgrimage route, and the centre of the Wadi al-Qura region.

The geographer al-Muqaddasi describes Qurh around 985. He ranks it just after Mecca among the towns of the Hejaz (quoted by World History Encyclopedia). Most of the objects found date from the 10th and 11th centuries. The town was abandoned around 1200. Its inhabitants then settled in what became AlUla Old Town.

Excavations have uncovered houses, pottery, glass, metal, weights and coins (Saudipedia). King Saud University has been excavating there for several seasons; its report on the 1430 AH (2009) season was published by the heritage authority.

The Prophet ﷺ at Wadi al-Qura

After Khaybar, in the year 7, Abu Hurayra reports: « ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى وَادِي الْقُرَى » (Bukhari 4234). Meaning: “Then we went back with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Wadi al-Qura.”

During the expedition of Tabuk, Abu Humayd as-Saʿidi reports: « غَزَوْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَزْوَةَ تَبُوكَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ وَادِيَ الْقُرَى إِذَا امْرَأَةٌ فِي حَدِيقَةٍ لَهَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأَصْحَابِهِ ‏"‏ اخْرُصُوا ‏"‏ » (Bukhari 1481). Meaning: “We went on the expedition of Tabuk with the Prophet ﷺ. When he came to Wadi al-Qura, there was a woman in her garden. The Prophet ﷺ said to his companions: "Estimate [her harvest]."”

These hadiths speak of the valley. They do not name Qurh and do not point to this particular site.

What is certain and what is not

• Certain: Qurh (al-Mabiyat) is a fortified Islamic town, inhabited from the 2nd to the 6th century AH, on the Syrian pilgrimage route (Saudipedia).
• Certain: the Prophet ﷺ passed through Wadi al-Qura after Khaybar and during the expedition of Tabuk (Bukhari 4234, 1481).
• Historians' account: Saudipedia says that Qurh was perhaps the town called “ar-Rahba” in the early sources.
• Uncertain: a prayer of the Prophet ﷺ in a mosque of Qurh. No text with a verifiable chain has been found. This account is therefore not included here.

Sources

1. Saudipedia, « قرية المابيات الأثرية ». https://saudipedia.com/قرية-المابيات-الأثرية
2. World History Encyclopedia (supplementary), Fiona Richards, 2025. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2850/dadan-tayma-khaybar-qurh--old-town-alula/
3. Sahih al-Bukhari 1481 and 4234. https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/fawazahmed0/hadith-api@1/editions/ara-bukhari/1481.json ; https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1481 ; https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4234
4. King Saud University, excavation report on Qurh (al-Mabiyat), 1430 AH / 2009 season. https://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/en/falrashedy/publication/401660