Ḏāt 'Irq

Dhat Irq is a pilgrimage station in the Hijaz where travellers enter the ritual state of ihram. It is particularly associated with pilgrims arriving from Iraq and Khorasan, and also served as a resting and meeting place for caravans. The mountain-related name was recorded by Yaqut al-Hamawi.

Dhat Irq also entered early Islamic memory: Zayd ibn Harithah led an expedition there in 624, and Husayn ibn Ali rested at the station while travelling from his home toward Kufa, meeting a local man from Banu Asad and discussing events in Kufa. A much older tradition tells of a battle there in 599 BCE between forces of Nebuchadnezzar II and Adnan, ruler of Mecca. The encounter was inconclusive, and the story also places the young Ma’ad ibn Adnan under protection.

Dhat Irq was classified as an archaeological site as well as a ritual boundary. Route traffic endured.