التراث والتاريخ

Ayn Zubaida stretches from Jabal Kara near Al-Taif to Arafat holy site in Makkah Al-Mukarramah. The extensive freshwater network was established by Zubaida bint Ja'far Al-Mansur, wife of the Abbasid Caliph Harun Al-Rashid, around 195 AH. She commanded the redirection of the "Ayn Wadi Numan” flow to Arafat. The stream originates from the foot of Jabal Kara in Al-Taif, to a place known as "Al-Awjar" in Wadi Numan. From there, the water is channeled through underground canals to Arafat, reaching Jabal Al-Rahma. The canals have branches leading to the ponds in Arafat, designed for pilgrims to drink from on the Day of Arafah. The designated areas for this purpose were designed in the form of beautiful stone faucets for the convenience of the pilgrims. Ayn Zubaida spans approximately 30 km in length and includes many inspection chambers totaling 132. It begins at inspection chamber number 1 in Wadi Numan, then proceeds toward Makkah, first appearing around Jabal Al-Rahmah in the southeastern part of Arafat. It then passes through Wadi Uranah and on to the Qataniyyah area west of Wadi Uranah. The water network runs along the southern and western slopes of the mountains between Arafat and Muzdalifah, reappearing in several locations in the Aziziyah neighborhood in Makkah. The final segment appears after King Khalid Bridge; after that point, the canals were removed, and buildings were constructed in their place. In addition to the inspection chambers and canals, Ayn Zubaida encompasses administrative buildings, water tanks, ponds, and more.