Abu Ǧnêb, which runs almost due north, and al-Ǧûba which extends to the south. To the west aṣ-Ṣwêwîne adjoins the plain of Mafâreš ar-Ruzz, through which leads the Pilgrim Route as well as the railway line, and in which is also situated the station of Dâr al-Ḥamra’.[1]
To the east of Dâr al-Ḥamra’ appear the limestone hills Ṛarâmîl ar-Rwala, and to the north rise the slopes of Ḫibt aṯ-Ṯemâṯîl, al-ʻAfêž, and Abu Ḥlejje. The šeʻîb of Abu Ǧnêb, beginning near aṣ-Ṣwêwîne, is joined on the east by the united šeʻibân of al-Ḥemmâẓa, Umm Arṭa, and al-Msêfre; farther on by al-Miṣwal; and near the station of al-Muʻaẓẓam by the šeʻîb of al-Meḳbel, which contains the water of al-ʻAḳejla. On the west, not far from the station of Ḫašm Ṣanaʻ, the šeʻîb of al-Ǧenûd merges with Abu Ǧnêb. To the south of the table-shaped hills of aṣ-Ṣwêwîne appears the crag of Šoḳb al-ʻAǧûz, through which the railway line passes. Below it, on the southeastern side of the šeʻîb of al-Ǧûba, is the water of al-Aḳraʻ.[2]
Along the eastern side of the šeʻîb of al-Ǧûba extends southward the oblong Ḫašm Marṯûm, near which, to the east, rise the flat hills of al-ʻArejf and Abu Ṭâḳa. Above the latter towers the steep crest of as-Sičč with the well of the same name on the northwestern slope. To the south of these hills extends the basin of Ḳâʻ ab-al-ʻAẓâm enclosed on the east by the rugged hills of al-Ǧanaḥ, on the south by the elevation of Ḥlewijjet an-Nâḳa,[3] and on the west by the volcanic region of al-Ešêhed.
Ḥlewijjet an-Nâḳa is connected in the south with the hills of al-Mzelže, Umm Ǧerfân, Abu Ḥamâṭa, Eṯleb, and al-Ḥwâra, which enclose the basin Ḫôr al-Ḥamâr. From this basin there rises to the west the mesa of az-Ziblijjât, upon which are grouped the volcanoes of al-Ešêhed. The former town of al-Ḥeǧr, now only a four-cornered stronghold and station, is situated in the lower half of the basin Ḫôr al-Ḥamâr, where good water may be obtained on all sides by digging to a depth of eight or ten meters. In some of the hollows the water rises nearly to the surface, but it is brackish and hence not good. There are said to be very many old wells there, but they are entirely or partly clogged up. If they were cleaned out, the vicinity of the stronghold could be transformed into a large oasis, for the water never dries up there.
- ↑ Meḥmed Edîb, Menâzil (Constantinople, 1232 A. H.), pp. 76 f., asserts that this station is called not only Dâr al-Ḥamra’ but also Mafâreš ar-Ruzz (not Maṛâriš az-Zîr as printed), Aḳraʻ (not Aḳraḥ as printed), Šiḳḳ al-ʻAǧûz, Maḳbara, and Dâr al-Ḥaǧar. It is eighteen hours distant from al-Muʻaẓẓam. In the year 1167 A. H. (1753—1754 A. D.) Othman Pasha built a stronghold there and in the following year a reservoir. The pilgrims collect small stones there, which they place in signet rings. The surrounding neighborhood is rocky. Beyond this station the pilgrims bound south turn off to the east and descend through a ravine into a sandy plain, on the right of which are situated the hills of aṭ-Ṭâf, an-Nuṭṭâḳ, Mazḥam, Ṣanwa’, and Mabrak an-Nâḳa. It was at Mabrak an-Nâḳa that the camel of the Prophet Ṣâleḥ appeared. It came forth from the rock of Kâṯibe and disappeared in the crag of an isolated table-shaped hill (ḳâra). The pilgrims ride around this hill as rapidly as possible amid shouting, uproar, and the firing of pistols, in order that their camels may not hear the voice of the Prophet’s camel, for, if they hear it, they sink down on their knees and cannot get up again.
- ↑ Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa, Ǧihân numa’ (Constantinople, 1145 A. H.), p. 521, writes that Mafâreš ar-Ruzz (thus, instead of the printed Maṛâriš az-Zîr) is also called Aḳraʻ and lies a half day’s journey from al-Ḥeǧr near Ǧebel aṭ-Ṭâḳ, where Ṣâleḥ’s camel was slain at al-Mazḥam.—Ǧebel aṭ-Ṭâḳ is the modern Abu Ṭâḳa.
- ↑ Al-Bekri, Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), p. 466, states that in the territory of the Ṯamûd is to be seen the isolated table-shaped hill of Kebâba, referred to in the narrative concerning the camel of the Prophet Ṣâleḥ.—This is probably the modern Ḥlewijjet an-Nâḳa.
