Al-Bleiteh

Al-Bleiteh lies in the Wadi al-Qura region north of Medina. The valley's name means “Valley of Villages.” Early Islamic sources place it on the main road between the Hejaz and Syria.

The valley was known for its density and productivity. The ninth-century historian Ibn al-Kalbi described it as highly fertile and dotted with villages, while the tenth-century geographer Istakhri counted it among the most populous and agriculturally productive parts of Arabia. Umayyad poetry mentions monks and monasticism there, and Irfan Shahid suggested that the Christian tribe Banu Udhra may have encouraged this religious presence. A Jewish community also persisted into the eleventh century and corresponded with leading Babylonian rabbis.

Wadi al-Qura appears repeatedly in early Islamic accounts, including expeditions against its inhabitants.