Ta'if: Difference between revisions

|image_shield = Coat of armsEmblem of Saudi Arabia.svg

|subdivision_name = [[File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg|25px]] [[Saudi Arabia]]

|leader_title = City Mayor

|leader_name = ArchitectSa'ad : Mohammed Almokharrijal-Maymuni

|area_magnitudearea_total_km2 = 321

|timezone_DST = ''Not Observed''

|utc_offset_DST = ''Not Observed''

'''Taif''' ([[Arabic]]or '''Ta'if''' ({{lang-ar|الطائف}}, {{transl|ar|aṭ-Ṭā’if}}) is a city in the [[Makkah Province|Mecca Province]] of [[Saudi Arabia]] at a height of {{convert|1879|m|abbr=on}} on the slopes of the [[Sarawat Mountains]] (Al-Sarawat Mountains). It has a population of 521,273 (2004 census). Each summer the Saudi Government moves from the heat of [[Riyadh]] to Ta'if. The city is the centre of an agricultural area known for its grapes, roses and honey.

In the 6th century the city of Tā'if was dominatedruled by the [[Banu Thaqif]] tribe.

The town is about {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Mecca]].<ref name=alislam>{{cite web|url=http://www.alislam.org/library/zafar/exampler.html |title=The Excellent Exemplar - Muhammad |publisher=Alislam.org |date= |accessdate=2012-01-17}}</ref> The walled city was a pagan religious centre. as itIt housed the idol of the goddess [[Alal-lāt|Allāt]], who was then known as "the lady of Tā'if." Its climate marked the citywas outdifferent from its dry and barren neighboursareas closer to the [[Red Sea]]. Wheat, vines, and fruit were grown around Tā'if. and this is how theThe city earned its title "the Garden of the [[Hejaz]]."

In 630, the [[Battle of Hunayn]] took place at [[Hunayn (Saudi Arabia)|Hunayn]], close to this city. Shortly after that, the unsuccessfulfailed [[Siege of Ta'if]] took place. The city was assaultedattacked by catapults from [[Banu Daws]], but it survived and repelled the attacks. The [[Battle of Tabouk]] in 631 left Tā'if completely isolatedsaperated from the other ares so members of Thaqīf arrived in Mecca to negotiate the conversion of the city to Islam. The idol of Alal-lāt was destroyed along with all of theand other signs of the city's previously pagan existencepast were destroyed.<ref>{{cite book| title = Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi - [[Book of Idols|The Book of Idols]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| title=[[Ibn Ishaq]] - Sīratu Rasūlu l-LāhHawting}}</ref>

On 17 July 1517 the [[Sharif of Mecca]] capitulatedgave away Ta'if to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Selim I]]. As a sign of this, he surrendered to him the keys of the Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina. As part of the Hejaz, Ta'if was also given over to Ottoman control.

The city remained Ottoman for a further three centuries, until in 1802 it was retaken by Saudi revolt, who were in alliance with the [[House of Saud]]. These forces then proceededcontinued to take Mecca and Medina. The loss was keenly felt by the Ottoman Empire, which viewed itself as the protector of the Holy Cities. The Ottoman Sultan, [[Mahmud II]], called upon his nominal Viceroy in [[Egypt]] [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali]], who launched an attack on the Hejaz and reconquered Ta'if in 1813.

In 1813, the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] traveller and [[Oriental studies|orientalist]] [[Johann Ludwig Burckhardt]] visited Ta'if. He has left us with an eyewitness account on the city just after itsit was taken recaptureback by the Muhammad Ali, with whom he obtained several interviews while he was there. BurckhardtAccording saysto thatBurckhardt, the wall and ditch around the city had been built by Othman el Medhayfe. There were three gates and several towers on the city walls, which, however, were weak, being in some places only {{convert|45|cm|abbr=on}} thick. Burckhardt says that theThe castle had been built by Sharif Ghalib. He notesalso noted the destruction of the city caused by the conquest of 1802. Most of the buildings were still in ruin while he was there and the tomb of [[Abdullah ibn Abbas]Radi Allah Ho unhu] – cousin of Muhammad and ancestor of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] – had been severely damaged. He also recordsrecorded that the population of the city iswas still mostly [[Banu Thaqif|Thaqīf]]. In terms of trade, the city was an [[entrepôt]]trading post for [[coffee]].

Prior to the [[Arab Revolt]], [[Ahmed Bey]] had been made the commander of Ottoman forces in Tā'if. He had under him a force of 3,000 soldiers and 10 guns of the mountain artillery. [[Ghalib Pasha]], the governor of the Hejaz was also present in the city. In 1916, the [[Hashemite]]s launched their revolt against the Ottoman Empire in Mecca in June. ThatThe city had fallen and then in July, [[Abdullah I of Jordan|Abdullah]], the eldest son of the Hashemite leader and Sharif of Mecca [[Husayn ibn Ali]], was sent with seventy men to Tā'if. WhilstWhile his activities in the area aroused the suspicion of Ahmed Bey, Ghalib Pasha was unconcerned by a so small a force. Abdullah secretly built up his army to 5,000 men. He then cut the telegraph wires to the city and then went on the attack. All Hashemite assaultsattacks on the city were repelled by the mountain guns, and both sides settled down to an uneasy siege. However, Hashemite guns were slowly brought up to Tā'if, and then the city held out a little longer; it finally surrendered on 22 September. The city thus later became a part of the self-proclaimed Hashemite [[Kingdom of Hejaz]].

Ta'if was still little more than a medieval city when the Saudis took control of it. However, they later embarkedstared on a project ofto modernizingmodernize the city. Saudi Arabia's first public power generator was set up in Ta'if in the late 1940s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198206/foundations-the.pillars.htm |title=Foundations: The Pillars |publisher=Saudi Aramco World |date= |accessdate=2012-01-17 |archive-date=2012-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202115900/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198206/foundations-the.pillars.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In terms of building roads to the isolated city, in 1965 the then King Faisal inaugurated the {{convert|54|mi|abbr=on}} mountain highway between Mecca and Ta'if,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196603/masterpieces.by.the.million.htm |title=Masterpieces By The Million |publisher=Saudi Aramco World |date= |accessdate=2012-01-17 |archive-date=2012-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202110445/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196603/masterpieces.by.the.million.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in 1974 the 400 mile Ta'if-[[Abha]]-[[Jizan]] highway was started.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197403/made.in-saudi.arabia.htm |title=Made In: Saudi Arabia |publisher=Saudi Aramco World |date= |accessdate=2012-01-17}}</ref> By the 1991 Gulf War, Ta'if was such a modern city|archive-date=2012-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202120740/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197403/made.in-saudi.arabia.htm terms of communications that it was chosen as the site of The [[Rendon Group]]'s television and radio network which used to feed the news to [[Kuwait]] during the [[Gulf War|occupationurl-status=dead of Kuwait by Iraq]].}}</ref>

====Places to See====

*Al Rudaf Park: LocatedTo the south of Taif is a large natural park where clumps of tree lie scattered amidstwith magnificenttrees weatheredand granite rocks. The site also has a small zoo.

Taif has a hot [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh''), with hot summers and mild winters. Temperatures are not as extremehot in summer as for lower-lying regions of Saudi Arabia. PrecipitationRain is low, but all months see some rain, with more rain in spring and late autumn than in other months.

|year precipitation mm =

[[Bani Hareth]] is one of the [[Adnani]] [[Arabs]] tribes living around [[Taif]] in [[Saudi Arabia]]. The tribe is one of the biggest tribes in the area and occupies the full area between Taif and Al Qunfuthah in Saudi.

[[Bani Adwan]] is one of the [[Adnani]] [[Arabs]] tribes living originally in the northern part of [[Taif]], and in the southern part of [[Jordan]]. <!--this doesn't seem to work: [[ar:%D8%B0%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%B9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A|Thu Al issba'a Al Adwani]]-->[[:ar:ذو الإصبع العدواني|Thu Al issba'a Al Adwani]] (in Arabic) is a figure of the tribe In the pre-Islamic era, in which he's known as a poet and a man of wisdom.Furthermore, Banu Thabet are people descended from Thabit. The tribe is originally part of Otaibah clan.

*[[Naif bin Abdul Aziz]]

*[[Uthman bin Affan]]

*[[Mutlaq Hamid Al-Otaibi]]

*[[Muhammad bin Qasim]]

*[[Uthman Ibn Affan]] the 3rd [[Rashidun]] (Rightly Guided Caliph) caliph born in Taif.

*[[Midhat Pasha]] (1822–1884), architect of the first Ottoman constitution who was strangulated in Taif.

*[[Muhammad Muhsin Khan]]

*[[Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily]] (b.1970) First Saudi Olympic medal winner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200101/great.leaps-saudi.arabia.s.first.olympic.medals.htm |title=Great Leaps: Saudi Arabia's First Olympic Medals |publisher=Saudi Aramco World |date= |accessdate=2012-01-17 |archive-date=2012-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202114323/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200101/great.leaps-saudi.arabia.s.first.olympic.medals.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*[[Addas]]- a young Christian slave boy who was the first person from the western province of Taif to convert to the religion of Islam.

*[[`Abd Allah ibn `Abbas]] died here

{{Expand list|date=August 2008}}

[[Category:Populated placesEstablishments in MakkahSaudi ProvinceArabia]]