Ḍubā

Duba lies on the Red Sea coast of northwestern Arabia, where a sheltered harbour opens between the sea and the arid mountains of the Hijaz. Its anchorage served vessels navigating the long coast, while the route from Egypt to the holy cities brought pilgrims through the district. Under the Mamluks and Ottomans, the coastal pilgrimage road gave Duba a place in the movement of people between Egypt and western Arabia.