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The al-ʿUrfaʾ hills extend the plain of Okaz to the north. People have passed through here for thousands of years. The rocks carry carvings of hunters, archers and cattle, which the Heritage Commission considers older than the 2nd millennium BC. There are also short late Thamudic inscriptions and Kufic inscriptions from the Islamic era. A few kilometres away, the ruins of Qasr Mushrifa (see no. 01) go back to the first centuries of Islam.
The fort is much more recent. For Saudipedia, which uses the data of the Heritage Commission, it was built “at the end of the 13th century AH”, that is, the second half of the 19th century. Other, unofficial texts suggest the 12th century AH. At that time, Taif and its region were under the sharifs of Mecca, under Ottoman sovereignty. The fort of al-ʿUrfaʾ was not isolated: Saudipedia also reports a fort called “of Marwan” about 3 km south of Okaz, and the town itself had the fort of Bab ar-Riʿ, which watched over the roads to Mecca (see no. 18). No source consulted says who built the fort of al-ʿUrfaʾ, or whether it played a part in any specific event.
The fortress stands on a height overlooking the surroundings and the old road to Riyadh. It has a rectangular plan and three levels. The ground floor is of solid stone, and the upper floors are of earth to lighten the load on the foundations. Two defensive towers stand at the north-west and south-east corners. Inner wells, living and working rooms, and a façade decoration in white quartz stone set in triangles, a common pattern in the region, are also described.
Today, the fort is still standing. In September 2025, an academic from Taif wrote in al-Madina that it needed maintenance and restoration. It is easy to combine with a visit to Souq Okaz.
What is certain and what is not
- Certain: the fort is one of the remains of al-ʿUrfaʾ recorded by the Heritage Commission, which dates it to the end of the 13th century AH.
- Uncertain: some unofficial sources suggest the 12th century AH.
- Unknown: the builder, the occupants and the history of the fort. No event is linked to it by the sources consulted.
- The architectural description (three levels, corner towers, quartz decoration) comes from an unsourced general-audience article: it should be checked on site.
- The present condition is not documented in detail. A restoration was called for in 2025, but no work has been announced.
Sources
1. Saudipedia, « آثار العرفاء » (survey of 1438 AH / 2017; dating of the fort to the end of the 13th century AH): https://saudipedia.com/آثار-العرفاء
2. Saudipedia, « سوق عكاظ » (remains of the Okaz area, including the fort of al-ʿUrfaʾ and the fort of Marwan): https://saudipedia.com/%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%B9%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B8
3. Haya ʿAttun, « قلعة العرفاء الطائف », Bayut blog, 3 September 2025 (location, plan, materials, towers): https://www.bayut.sa/blog/%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D9%82%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81/
4. ʿAbd ar-Rahman Saʿd al-ʿArabi, article on the monuments of Taif, al-Madina, 7 September 2025 (the fort “needs maintenance and restoration”): https://www.al-madina.com/ampArticle/950326