Tabuk Castle (fort)

History

Tabuk was a stop on the Syrian pilgrimage road, which linked Damascus to Medina and Mecca. Caravans stopped here for the water of the nearby spring.

The present fort was built under Sultan Suleiman, in 967 AH (1559) according to the Tourism Commission and Wikipedia, and in 976 AH according to Saudipedia. It stands on the ruins of an earlier fort. It was restored in 1064 AH. In 1259 AH (1843), it was completely rebuilt. An inscription recording this work was placed in the mihrab of the mosque on the upper floor.

It was renovated again in 1370 AH (1951), then thoroughly restored in 1413 AH (1993). In the early Saudi period, it housed an emirate office and a police post.

In 1434 AH (2013), the Commission for Tourism and National Heritage rehabilitated it and turned it into a museum. The fort has two levels around a courtyard, with rooms, a mosque and a well. Its area is about 2,500 m². In March 2022, it was listed in the national register of built heritage, together with the two nearby basins.

What is certain and what is not

• Certain: a stop on the Syrian pilgrimage road, next to ʿAyn as-Sukkar (Saudipedia).
• Certain: restorations of 1064 AH (inscription in Iznik tiles above the entrance) and of 1259-1260 AH (inscription in the mihrab on the upper floor).
• Certain: restorations in 1370 AH and 1413 AH, and a museum since 1434 AH (Saudipedia).
• Uncertain: the year of construction, 967 AH or 976 AH depending on the source.
• Uncertain: the date of the earlier fort. A Saudipedia list mentions the Abbasid era, without detail.
• Uncertain: some web pages date the site to 3500 BC and link it to the “people of al-Ayka”. No reliable source confirms this. It is not used here.
• To check on site: museum opening hours and visiting conditions.

Sources

• Saudipedia (Arabic), قلعة تبوك الأثرية: https://saudipedia.com/article/12300/تاريخ/معالم-و-آثار/قلعة-تبوك-الأثرية


• Saudipedia (English), Tabuk Archaeological Castle: https://saudipedia.com/en/tabuk-archaeological-castle


• Saudipedia, list of five archaeological sites in the Tabuk region: https://saudipedia.com/قائمة-خمسة-مواقع-أثرية-في-منطقة-تبوك


• Saudipedia, Syrian pilgrimage road: https://saudipedia.com/طريق-الحج-الشامي


• Sabq, listing in the national register (7 March 2022): https://sabq.org/article/G6DyEiC