Abdullah Al Mamun : An ancient market dating back to the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has been discovered in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi scientific team has identified the site of an ancient souk (market) in the Mecca region that served as one of the most important Arab markets in the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods.
The site called Souk (Bazaar) Habasha was discovered in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, the Ministry of Culture and the Heritage Commission.
After more than 40 years of trying to identify the exact location of the market, the concerned authorities have finally discovered it.
Historians say that the biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentions the bazaar, which the Prophet attended to trade before the mission.
The team tirelessly studied and managed, verified the sources and carried out an archaeological survey, determining the location of the souk (market) Habasha after matching all the evidence with the correct source.
Historical markets in this region were usually located with an abundance of water, rainfall and pasture. Accordingly, Souk (market) Habasha was located on the southern bank of Wadi Qanuna in Ardia, a coastal city in the Mecca region.
It lies in the middle of a vast floodplain, bounded by the Al-Durbat Mountains to the east, the Al-Iram Mountains extending five kilometers to the west, and the Umm Al-Rim Mountains to the south, a vast area with water sources and vegetation cover.
The market is also crossed by Al-Janad Street, which serves as the most important landmark in determining the location of the souk (market).
The souk (market) Habasha was an ancient seasonal Arab market and one of the largest markets in the Tihamah region west of the Arabian Peninsula. The market was held for eight days every year, beginning with the first day of Rajab in the Islamic calendar.
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