Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission has announced the discovery of more than 1,700 artefacts at the archaeological site of Miqat Al Juhfah, one of the key stations on the ancient Hajj route to Mecca. The findings, made during the first season of survey and documentation work at the site, offer fresh insight into the role Al Juhfah played for generations of pilgrims and travellers.
According to the commission, the work was carried out in collaboration with the United Kingdom's University of Exeter. The discoveries add to a growing body of evidence about the historical and cultural importance of the site during the early Islamic era.
A Key Station on the Ancient Hajj Route
Located about 187 kilometres northwest of Mecca, Al Juhfah has served as a designated pilgrimage station since the early Islamic period. It is best known as a miqat, one of the appointed boundary points at which pilgrims enter the state of ihram before proceeding to Mecca. For centuries, Al Juhfah marked the miqat for pilgrims arriving from the direction of Egypt, the Levant and the lands beyond.
Historical sources link the site to the era of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and indicate that it flourished in the second century after Hijrah. By that time it had developed water facilities and shops catering to the steady flow of pilgrims and merchants passing through on the long journey to the holy city.
Pottery Kilns, Tombstones and Trade Links
The artefacts recovered at the site include pottery, glass and stone fragments, along with shells, beads, metal objects and other crafted items. Archaeologists said these finds reflect various aspects of daily life at the station.
Researchers also uncovered six pottery kilns and a water channel believed to have served pilgrims and travellers. In addition, they documented 13 tombstones, some dating back to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, marking the resting places of those who passed through or settled near the route.
Notably, the excavation yielded objects originating from regions including the Levant, Egypt and Abyssinia, present-day Ethiopia. The presence of these items indicates that pilgrims and goods from across the wider Islamic world converged at the Miqat, underscoring its position as a meeting point of routes and cultures.
Why Al Juhfah Matters to Pilgrims Today
For modern pilgrims, the discoveries are a reminder that the rites they perform sit within an unbroken tradition stretching back to the earliest generations of Islam. The miqat at Al Juhfah, today often associated with the nearby station of Rabigh for travellers approaching from that direction, remains part of the framework of fixed points that govern when a pilgrim enters ihram.
The survey forms part of the Heritage Commission's broader effort to identify and document landmarks along the historic routes between Mecca and Medina, including the Hijrah Route. Officials say the initiative aims to accelerate scientific research while preserving the Kingdom's cultural heritage for future generations.
Pilgrims interested in this history can prepare by learning the location of their own miqat before travelling, since entering ihram at the correct point is an essential part of a valid Umrah or Hajj. Those passing through the Rabigh area on the way to Mecca cross close to the historic ground now being studied, a tangible link between the journeys of today and those of more than a thousand years ago.