Najran

Najran
Najran Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Coordinates: 17°29′30″N 44°7′56″E / 17.49167°N 44.13222°E / 17.49167; 44.13222
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Najran
Established	4000 BC
Joined Saudi Arabia 1934
Government
• Mayor	Faris Alshfq
• Provincial Governor	Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Saud
Population (2004)
• Total	246,880
	Najran Municipality estimate
Postal Code	(5 digits)
Area code(s)	+966-7
Website	[1]

Najran (Arabic: نجران‎ Naǧrān), formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to 246,880 in 2004 and to 1200000 in 2011. The population belongs mostly to the ancient tribe of Yam.

Due to its long history, the inhabitants of Najran are made up of many races, religions and backgrounds. Islam is the religion of all of the Najranis, with Ismaili Shia forming the plurality of the religious adherents. Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki Sunnis form the second largest ethno-religious group in the city, while Zaydi Shia froms the smallest ethno-religious group.

Najran in Arabic has at least two meanings. It is a term used to describe the wooden frame on which a door opens and is also a synonym for thirsty. Local tradition also has it that the land derived its name from the first man to settle in the area, Najran ibn Zaydan ibn Saba ibn Yahjub ibn Yarub ibn Qahtan.

Najran was the Yemeni centre of cloth making and originally, the kiswah or the cloth of the Ka'aba was made there (the clothing of the Kaba first started by the Yemeni kings of Saba). There used to be a Jewish community at Najran, renowned for the garments they manufactured. According to Yemenite Jewish tradition, the Jews of Najran traced their origin to the Ten Tribes. Najran was also an important stopping place on the Incense Route.

History

Najran Museum Entrance

The history of Najran can be traced back to 4000 years ago. It was once occupied by the Romans; in fact it was the first Yemeni city to fall to the Romans on their way to the Yemeni kingdom of Sheba. Najran's most prosperous trading time was during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient times it was known as Al-Ukhdood.

Early history

Similarly to other ancient place names in Arabia, "Najran" may have originally been the name of the whole oasis including all towns and villages. The old name of the ruins now known as "Al-Ukhdood", which may have been the central town, was probably "Ragmat".

Najran was a focal point of the Incense Route. All routes that left ancient Yemen to the north or west had to meet at Najran, where the routes branched into two general directions, the ones leading north through the Hejaz towards Egypt and the Levant and those leading to the northeast towards Gerrha near the Persian Gulf.^[1]

Najran was conquered around 685 BC by the sabean Mukarrib (King) Karib'il Watar I King of Yemen. The later sabean king Yithi'amar Bayin destroyed Ragmat around 510 BC. Najran seems to have been under Minaean or Sabean rule at different times during the next centuries and after that it was part of Yemen till 1937.

The Roman Aelius Gallus led an expedition to conquer Arabia Felix and won a battle near Najran in AD 25. He occupied the city and used it as a base from which to attack the sabean capital at Ma'rib. According to Strabo,^[2] Najran was at this time the northernmost city of the realm of Saba.

When the Himyarite Kingdom conquered the Sabeans in AD 280 they probably also took control of Najran. Some time during the 3rd century the people of Najran sided with the Abyssinians who sent a governor named "SBQLM" in inscriptions. The Himyar King Ilsharah Yahdib crushed this rebellion. King Sir Matt and mahde The Great was the first Emperor of Saudi Arabia in 1972.

The north Arabian Lakhmid king Imru Al-Qais ibn Amqu attacked Najran in AD 328. Under the influence from Axum, the Christians in Najran thrived and started an alliance with Aksum again at the beginning of the 6th century.

Early Christian community

Christianity must have been introduced into Najran, as in the rest of South Arabia, in the 5th century AD or perhaps a century earlier. According to the Arab Muslim historian Ibn Ishaq, Najran was the first place where Christianity took root in South Arabia. According to the contemporary sources, after seizing the throne of the Himyarites, in ca. 518 or 523 Dhū Nuwas attacked the Aksumite (mainly Christian) garrison at Zafar, capturing them and burning their churches. He then moved against Najran, a Christian and Aksumite stronghold. After accepting the city's capitulation, he massacred those inhabitants who would not renounce Christianity. Estimates of the death toll from this event range up to 20,000 in some sources; a letter survives written by Simon, the bishop of Beth Arsham in 524 AD, recounts Dhū Nuwas' (where he is called Dimnon) persecution in Najran (modern al-Ukhdud in Saudi Arabia).^[3] The persecution is apparently described and condemned in the Qur'an (al-Buruj:4).

Under the reign of the Caliph Umar, the Christian community of Najran was deported to Mesopotamia, on the grounds that no non-Muslims were to live in the Arabian Peninsula.^[4]

The town of Najran was already an important centre of arms manufacture during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. However, it was more famous for leather rather than iron.

Former Jewish community

Najran had a Jewish community dating back to pre-Islamic times, historically affiliated with the Yemenite Jews.^[5] With the Saudi conquest of Najran in 1934, persecution increased, and some 200 Jews of Najran fled south to Aden between September and October 1949. The Saudi King Abdulaziz demanded their return, but Yemeni king Ahmad bin Yahya refused, because these refugees were Yemenite Jews. After settling in the Hashid Camp (also called Mahane Geula) they were airlifted to Israel as part of the larger Operation Magic Carpet.^[6]

Najran as part of Saudi Arabia

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Najran joined the newly announced Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1934 as a result of the efforts and struggles of sheikh Jabir Abu sag, the Leader of one large clan of the Yam tribe. Starting in 1924, the forces of the former Yemeni King launched several unsuccessful raids to annex Najran to the Yemeni Kingdom. The king of Yemen performed some new maneuvers to strengthen his tie with some of the Najran tribal leaders to counter the strong relations of the people of Najran with Bin Saud. Then in 1932 the forces of Imam Yahiya of Yemen attacked Najran with more than 50,000 troops, with all kinds of new weapons. The Yamis, as the dominant tribe in Najran, along with some other loyalist Najranis started strong resistance against the occupation forces. However, a strong segment of the tribal leaders in Najran sided with the occupying power and some became passive, waiting to take a side at the end of the crisis. Sheikh Jabir Abu sag, the strong man at the time, managed to get quick support from King Abdul Aziz Bin Saud and was able to lead the Yam tribes and all of the Najrani resistance fighting the Yemeni forces in all parts of Najran and Bilad Yam. Later, in the spring of 1934, the Army of Bin Saud under the command of Prince Saud son of Abdul Aziz carried out a massive campaign, surrounding Najran from the north and north west, and defeated the Yemeni Army. Najran became part of Saudi Arabia. In short, though historically a part of Yemen since ancient times, it was annexed by Saudi Arabia.indeed, there was a strong treaty between King Abdulaziz and the people from Najran indicates conditions that have to be respected by the both sides.

Protests

The Ismailis, a religious and ethnic minority with historic roots in Najran Province of southwestern Saudi Arabia, face increasing threats to their identity as a result of official discrimination. With the arrival of Mishaal bin Saud as the governor of Najran in 1996, tension between local authorities and the Ismaili population increased, culminating in a confrontation between armed Ismaili demonstrators and police and army units outside the Holiday Inn hotel in Najran city on April 2000. Official discrimination in Saudi Arabia against Ismailis encompasses government employment, religious practices, and the justice system. Government officials exclude Ismailis from decision making, and publicly disparage their faith.^[7]

The confrontation at the Holiday Inn in Najran city on April 23, 2000, marked a watershed in Ismaili relations with the central government. Three months earlier, police had closed all Ismaili mosques on a religious holiday. On April 23, after security forces and religious morality police arrested an Ismaili cleric, a large demonstration took place outside the Holiday Inn, where governor Mishaal resided. After the governor refused for hours to meet the petitioners, an exchange of fire between security forces and armed demonstrators left two Ismailis dead and, according to some government accounts, killed one policeman as well. Believing their religious identity to be under attack, Ismaili men erected defenses around Khushaiwa, the seat of the Ismaili religious leader, al-Da’i al-Mutlaq (Absolute Guide), and the spiritual capital of Sulaimani Ismailis, a community with followers in India and Pakistan as well as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Khushaiwa, which is an area of Najran city, includes the Mansura mosque complex. The army surrounded the Ismaili positions and placed the city under its control. The standoff ended later the same day without further bloodshed.^[8]

Archaeological ruins and artifacts

Najran city is famous for its archeological significance. Old Najran was surrounded by a circular wall, 220 by 230 meters, built of square stone with defensive balconies. It contained several unique buildings. There is also a cemetery south of the external wall. Excavations of this site have uncovered glass, metals, pottery, and bronze artifacts. Square and rectangular buildings have also been found. At Al-Ukhdood which is south of Najran city, carvings from those days and human bones can be seen. A museum displays, among other items, a bronze lion head. Najran's landmarks include the "Rass" stone, a 2-meter-high granite stone.^[9]

Geography

Topography

Najran enjoys three different geographic landscapes, and they are: the oases, mountains, and desert at its eastside.

Climate

The average temperature in Najran ranges from 14.6 to 30.9. The average annual rainfall is 83 mm.

Education

Schools and libraries

There are 553 public schools, and 3 private schools in Najran.

Colleges and universities

Najran is home of Najran University, Najran College of Technology.

Sports

Local Football Clubs

• Al-Okdod Club (Arabic: نادي الأخدود) founded in 1975
• Sharora Club (Arabic: نادي شرورة) founded in 1975
• Najran Club (Arabic: نادي نجران) founded in 1980

Sports Centers

There are many sports centers and complexes within the city including

• Al-Khalidyyah Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الخالدية الرياضي )
• Prince Mishal Sport Center (Arabic: مركز الأمير مشعل )
• Najran Bowling Alley

Hospitals and Medical Care

• King Khalid Hospital
• General Psychiatric Hospital
• Najran General Hospital
• Najran Armed Forces Hospital
• MCH Najran
• Al Zafer Hospital
• Al Hayah Hospital

Hotels

• Happy Day Inn
• Hyatt Najran
• Holiday Inn
• Najran Crown
• Najran Hotel
• Ramada Hotel

Sports

• 

  Najran SC

References

External links

• Travel through the province of Najran, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes

Further reading

• This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.
• Irfan Shahîd, The Martyrs of Najrân. New Documents, Brussels (1971).
• Irfan Shahîd, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, Dumbarton Oaks (1989), ISBN 0-88402-152-1.
• Hugh Goddard, A History of Christian-Muslim Relations, Edinburgh University Press (2000), ISBN 0-7486-1009-X.
• Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Islamic Civilization, Taylor & Francis (2006), ISBN 0-415-96692-2.
• Mark A. Caudill, Twilight in the Kingdom, Greenwood Publishing Group (2006), ISBN 0-275-99252-7.
• Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, Adrian Walford, Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Routledge (2001), ISBN 1-57958-282-6.
• Joel Thomas Walker, The Legend of Mar Qardagh, University of California Press (2006), ISBN 0-520-24578-4.

Coordinates: 17°29′30″N 44°7′56″E / 17.49167°N 44.13222°E / 17.49167; 44.13222