Introduction
Before we start, we need to recogniz the efforts by the late scholar HAMAD ALJASSER. ALJASSER published the documents written by many travelers who traveled this path, its stations, and history. The greatest of his publications was a research in the manuscript ADURRAR ALFARAIED written by ABDULQADER ALJAZEERI, as well as publishing documents by many Moroccan travels. We will not discuss these in detail, but shall shed a light on the historical and geographical information about this path, as described by historians and then compare them with what is existing, the first leg of this journy shall take us from the town of ALHAQEL to ALWAJH. This path is important not only for Egyptian pilgrims, for it was is the path of the pilgrims from Libya, Tunisia, Moroco, and the route of pilgrims from Africa, Ghana, and other African Nations, it was also the path of pilgrims from Andalusia. The course of this path change through the centuries, according to political circumstances and technological development. This path is devided into to (4) stages:
- Phase one: extends from the Islamic conquest of Egypt, until mid 5th century A.H and the route was devided into (2) paths in the Arabian Peninsula: an internal path and a coastal (mentioned by IBN HAWQAL).
- Phase two: the stage of AITHEB path, during this period, the land route used in the northern Hijaz was stoped, Egyptian pilgrims used Nile ships to sail to QUS and then travel to AITHEB by caravans then crossed the sea to Jeddah.
- Phase three: during which the pilgrims returned to use the coastal land path.
- Phase four: the land path discontinued and pilgrims traveled by sea from SUEZ, and then, by air to Jeddah.
Hajj Routes from Egypt
IBN HAWQAL Described the course in his time, saying: "… from Egypt to MEDINA on the coast twenty stage, we meet with the people of the Levant in AILA as within the Egyptian pilgrims are Moroccans and probably will remain together unless they agree in a dicission and perhaps they proceed for them shall settles and others leave or stay behind in this way. For the people of Egypt and Palestine if they pass MIDEAN (TABUK) two paths: one to ALMEDINA through ALBEDA and SHAGHAB a rural village populated by MARWANIYANS (BANI MARWAN) granted to them by ALZUHARI and his grave until they reach ALMEDINA through MARWAH. As the path parallels the coast until it reaches ALJUHFA were the people of Iraq, Damascus, Palestine, and the people of Egypt shall meet…".
Judge WAKEA counted the stages of the Egyptian path, by saying: "… the Egyptian path from FUSTAT to ALJUB, ALJUB to ALHAFER, ALHAFER to ALBUWAIB, ALBUWAIB to MANZEL UMM SAAD, MANZEL UMM SAAD to AJROUD, AJROUD to ALQALZAM, ALQALZAM to KURSI and on to ALHAFER and into NAKHAL and from there to AYLA, from there the route separates to the coastal and inland paths, the inland path is from AYLA to SHARAF ALBAAL, to MADIEN, to FALIS, to ALAGHAR, to ALKILABIYAH, into ALBEDA to SHAGHAB, then to ALSARHTAIN, to ALSUQIYA, and there both the Levant and Egyptian paths meet. The coastal path: from AYLA to AINONA, to ALMUSSALA, to ALNABAK, to DHUBA, to ALMURRAH, to UWAINID, to ALWAJH, to MANKHUS, to ALHORA, to QUSSAIBA, to ALBUHRA, to YANBU, to ALJAR, to MEDINA…".
Egyptian Hajj paths throuout history
When the centeral government was weakened, the inland path was discontinued fearing from Arab nomads, while the coastal path remained. The coastal path peaked in organization, lavishness, and the total number of pilgrims in the late Mamluk era (the 9th and 10th centuries A.H).
IBN FADLALLAH identified in the 7th century A.H the stages of the Egyptian pilgrimage path: “… If the pilgrim went out from Cairo and came down in ALBIRKAH at stage one, and stays there for three to four days, and then travels to SUEZ in five stages, and then to NAKHAL in five stages, and then go to AYLA in five stages and in it is the Grand AQABA, they then descend to the custody of the Caspian, and walk on the detention even broken from the north side to south side, and he lives four days or five, and its market is a great the types of stores, then go to the concert stage one, then to the shores of the debtor in (4) stages and has a cave Shoaib peace be upon him, and said that its water is watering Moses, peace be upon him sheep Girls Shoaib, and then go into the eyes of the reeds in two phases, and then to MUILHA in (3) stages, and then to Alozlam in (4) phases. And its water is the worst of waters, and then to ALWAJH in five stages, and its water of freshest waters, and then to AKRA in two phases, one hundred and its water is the hardest water in this path, then to ALHORA, which is on the coast of the Caspian in four stages, and its water is like Seawater hardly drunk, and then to NABT in two phases and its water is torture, and then to YANBU in five stages and can be established in three days, then to the DAHNA in a single phase, and then to the BADER in three stages, and then go to RABIGH in five stages, which is confronted by ALJUHFA which is a meeqaat, then go to KHULAIS in three stages, then pass to BATEN in three stages, and in the way is ASFAN well, and then go from BATEN over to Mekkah in one stage…”.
When did the Egyptian inland path discontinued?
The opening of the Suez Canal, and the evolution of ships are considered of the most important reasons for pilgrims leaving land travel and their preference to travel by sea, large number of ships was crossing the Suez Canal, as sailors took advantage of the ship sizes to earn money by transporting pilgrims.
Richard Burton an Englishman in ALMOELIH in 1878, was an eye witness to the deterioration of the annual convoy, he wrote: "… when we went back to ALMOELIH the pilgrimage convoy failed to catch up as it returned to Egypt, the Hajj convoy has deteriorated from its throttle after a quarter of a century, for it was guided by a Pasha or two, it became headed by a man with a rank of “Bay”, the number of "believers" has reduced from sevral thousands to no more than (800) people. This year only (80) passed through ALMOELIH, and that the Sacred load [ALMAHMAL] has been transported by soldiers [BABOOR]. All this despite that the number of pilgrims standing in ARAFAT has increased recently compared to the past, the majority became to prefer sailing on land travel, while the rich prefer rental cabins on the ships owned by "infidels" as the poor choos the "beliver’s" SANBUK (Nile Rafts). If this situation continues, nothing will remain of the Hajj convoy except ALMAHMAL and its guardians".
MOHAMMAD PASHA SADIQ ratified the Burton’s intuition of the decreasing number of pilgrims, no longer they come by the inland path except for ALMAHMAL and (200) soldiers, and later ALMAHMAL was brought by sea.
How much is the time required for the trip from Cairo to Mekkah?
ALQALQASHNDI gives us the answer: "Usually the pilgrims accomplish two-stage every day and night, but with burden, and foot creeping. They pass through it all in a month, including the days in which they stay in AQABA and ALYABU which are about six days. As for those who travel through NAJAB they face light burden, and with prisistence he can cross it in about eleven stages".
He then describes the stages of his time as he made pilgrimage on the same path: "The first determinant is from Cairo to the pool known as the BIRKAT ALHAJJ; then from it to ALBWAIB, and then to ALTULAIHAT, then them to ALMINFARAH, then to MARAKEA MOUSA, then to AJROUD (in it are water wells and spatious areas to be filled from), then them to the ALMUNSARIF, then to WADI ALQIBAB (the valley of tents, that has a lot of sand), then to the first wanderings of the Israelites (a spatious palin valley), then to ALUNQ, then to NAKHL (in it is potable water) then to JASAD ALHAI, then to BIEDRA well, then to TAMD ALHASSA, then to the back of AQABA, then to the surface of AQABA (ERQUB ALBAGHLA on the side of the Red Sea, where the water is drinkable from excavations), then to HAFAN on the side by the Red Sea (in which its water is drinkable from excavations), then to the USH ALGHURAB, then to AKHER ALSHRFA, and then to SHOAIB caves (named after prophet SHOAYB PBUH, in it are water and pools), then to the valley of AFFAN, then to THAT ALRUKHAIM, then into UYOON ALQASSAB (and it has a water spring and naturally grown cane bushes), then them to MWAILHA (with water in wells), then to ALMADRAJ, then to a SALMA neighboring the Red Sea (with salty water), then them to ALOTELLAT, then to ALAZNAM (people say: ALAZLAM with an “L” instead of “N”, it has wells with bad water releasing the belly of that who drinks from it, often not used except for camels, which is half way), then from it to the top of ANTAR valley, then to ALWAJH, and has few water wells, and its water within the valley is hard which often is not found only the excavations, It is said: that if the sun rises its water runs out, and some of the pilgrimage from the poets who say when its hard for him to find water: if water is taken from "ALWAJH" there is no good in a "WAJH " without shame! (the word WAJH in Arabic means “Face”). Subsequently to ALMAHTAB, then to AKRA, then to the cape of ALRAS ALSAGHEER, then to the grave of ALQARAWI, then to KALKHA, then to the end of ALQAA ALSAGHEER, then to ALHORA, its water is not good, then to ALUQAIQ, which is a difficult Strait, then to the NABAT cave, and its water is fresh not found on the path of the Hijaz like it, then to ANOUR valley, and then to the tomb of AHMAD ALAARAJ ALDALEEL, then to the end of ANOUR valley, then to the top of the seven tics, then to DAR ALBAQAR, then to ALNABEA, which is a half quarter of the way, and it the pilgrims dwell for three days or so, and in it pilgrims leave their weights till they return back, and carry from it what help them reach the land of Egypt on the Red Sea ships, then to ALMAHATEB in rugged, then to the top of BADER valley, which ranks well with water sources and gardens, then to the top of QAA ALBAZWA, then to the center of QAA ALBAZWA, then to RABIGH, which is clse to ALJUHFA which is Ihram meeqat for the people of Egypt, and in it the pilgrims are deprived and not stay in ALJUHFA. The Prophet (PBUH) had called for shifting ALMEDINA boundries to it by saying: "And move its protection, then to ALJUHFA, if a bird passes it will be filled with food. QUDID, and then it to the AQABAT ALSUAIQ subsequently to KHULAIS (it has a water pool), then to ASAFAN, then to MADRAJ ALI with many obsticles, then to BATEN MUR, (its also called: MAROU, in it are water sources and gardens), and then to Makkah Al-Mukkaramah may it be honored by God, then from Makkah to MINA, and its water is good excavated from wells, then them to the the Holy MSHA’AR and MUZDALIFA, then to ARAFAT which is the stand, and to it ends the pilgrimage". Then the return in the homes mentioned in advanced to the the Valley of BADER in contrast to the foregoing.
Sultan QATBAI Pilgrimage
Published by Hamad Al Jasser in the Arab Journal, and we will cite here the stages from HAQAL to MEDINA as a model for the important homes in the path: "from the obstacle of EYLAH then our master the sharif may GOD grant him victory rode on the second Saturday morning of the month, and dwelled in HAQL interchange. Then he rode from it before midnight. Then he passed ALSHURFA (SHARAF BANI ATTIYAH) on Sunday morning, and then he rode from it and slept near UFAL Valley, and then he rode before midnight to Monday morning, and passed, and then rode from it before noon and arrived in SHOAIB Cave of (ALBIDEA) at the end of the day and dwelled till before midnight. and rode from it till he reached the tomb of ALTAWASHI on Tuesday morning, and passed it he had the Diner in UYOON ALQASSAB. Then he rode from it on Wednesday and morned in CHARMA, then dwelled in ALMWAILHA then rode on Thursday night and morned in QASTAL, then nested near HADRA DAMA, and then rode on Friday night the eighth and morned and nested on the way to ALAZLAM, then Rode on Saturday night the ninth and morned in ALAZLAM and nested in SAMAWA, and then rode till he arrived at ALDAKHAKHEEN and morned in it, and then nested in ESTABLE ANTAR on Sunday the tenth, and then rode on Monday night eleventh to arrive at the Valley of ARAK and morned, and then nested in ALWAJH”. Then he list the rest of the Home to Makkah, we will stop here because we will discuss this part that extends from the HAQEL to ALWAJH
ABDULQADER ALJAZEERI ALHANBALI
This multi-talented marksman perhaps is the best who wrote about the pilgrimage paths and convoys. His father was the pilgrimage Diwan inscriber (in the sense he is responsible for budget and organization of the pilgrimage purchases, expenses, Arab revenues and others) he inherited his father’s post in the late Mamluk and the beginnings of the Ottoman era and continued in this position more than (20) years. He was a multi-talented person, as a historian, a poet, a biographer, Archeologist, and is the author of many books, an interesting title he published was "elite in the solution of coffee", in which he responds to those on who porhibited coffee that appeared at the time.
ALJAZEERI publication will be the base source in this trip, then we will be aided with the writings of the Moroccans travelers.
ALJAZEERI Was accurate in his writings, and demonstrated the use of an aperatus to measure the time distance, this apperatus that resembles a clock in determining the time of residence and travel, he says: "… What I wrote by the year (955/1584) with a MINKABEEN (type of clock) establishing: The travel is four quarters, of which hours are (424) hours and two thirds of an hour and its houses are (54) houses no more, for by virtue of its digrees (6770) degree. The first quarter: (16) camps in the desert from Cairo to the AQABAT EYLAH, with little water and trees, its hours are (112) hours and one-third of an hour by virtue of the digrees (1685) degree. The second quarter is (11) stage and said that it was the shortest of the quarters which had more water than the earlier and and its trees are abundant its hours are (95) and one-third of an hour by virtue of the digrees (1430) digree. DHAHR ALHUMAR (100) degrees * AFFAN Valley (260) degrees * ALMAZLU (90) degrees * SHOAIB Cave (130) degrees * ALTAWASHI tomb (70) degrees * UYOON ALQASAB (160) degrees * ALSHARMA (75) degrees * ALMWAILEH (140) degrees * DAR ALSULTAN (125) degrees * SIDI MARZOUQ (110) Degree * ALAZLAM (170) degrees…”.
Then he mentiones that DARKAH belongs to ALRASHAIDAT from BANI ATTIYAH to KUBAIDAH South of SHOAIB Cave then the DARAK belongs to BANI UQBAH to HADRA DAMAH the DARAK then belongs to BILY. The third quarter: (14) stages and is one of the thurstfull quarters if there is no water in ALWAJH and the longest and most frightening, its hours (115) hours by (7251) Degrees: TALBA (160) Degrees * ALSHARNABA (100) degrees * ALWAJH (140) degrees. The fourth quarter: from YANBU to Makkah (13) stages”.
He said about it: it's nice and populated its hours are (102) by virtue of digrees (1530) degree”. The implicits in his diwan the leading of pilgrims and ALJAZEERI responsibilities:
Preparing the Load
Camels preparation, as they number in a single mission between (1400) to (1600) camels, has decreased to (800) in some years, and these camels are just the official mission organized by ALJAZEERI according to the budget, this does not include the pilgrims camels.
ALJAZEERI as the inscriber of the pilgrimage command is responsible for salaries [JAMKIYAH] staff attached to the mission, and here is a sample of the paid jobs to show the magnitude of the Egyptian mission: [ALDAUADAR] responsible for the Emir’s messages * the Judge * dedicated Clerks to record the mission * Horse Keeper * Stock Sustainer * Had Camel Driver * Kitchen Chef * Head of the Water Bearers * Grain Measurer * Carpenter * Sheep Hearder * Heralds (media) * Executioner (Enforcement jurisdiction) * Missionaries * Load keepers * Janitors * Guards * Head Lighters [ALMISHALJIYAH] * Head sniper * Door Boy * Timer (declairs time) * Sergion [ALJARAIHI] * Prayer Callers * Fire Works Experts [ALMANAHILIYAH] * Cooks * Fule Carriers * Phisician * poets Drum Carriers. Add to this that he has a record of all the tribes that mission passes in the path in order to pay them the agreed duty for policing of the mission and to avoid their evils.
