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Khyber, Khyber: Can we visit the "Jewish city" in Saudi Arabia? | Israel today

2022-12-25T06:24:55.100Z


The old city was the home of Jewish tribes before the rise of Islam • Now they offer tours of springs and a helicopter flight over volcanoes and mysterious tombs • The residents are satisfied and waiting for the public


The city of Khyber in Saudi Arabia is best known for the brutal battle that took place there between the Jewish tribes and the Muhammadan army in the early days of Islam.

And here, these days the plan is to turn it into an attractive tourist site.

Khyber is in an oasis between basalt rocks north of the city of al-Madinah, the second holiest place for Islam.

In the seventh century AD, Jewish tribes lived there who were defeated by the army of Islam, which occupied the Arabian Peninsula in those days and killed many of them.

@ibnhattuta#السعودية#روح_السعودية♬ original sound - Ibn Hattuta

To this day, in demonstrations against Israel, they chant defiantly or with the intention of inciting violence: "Kheyber, Khyber ya Yehud, Jaish Muhammad suf yayod" (Kheyber, Khyber, oh Jews, Muhammad's army will return).

Last month, Saudi Arabia inaugurated a visitor center in Khyber where the history of the region is extensively covered, and ancient texts commemorating the city are given space.

In the 1970s, the residents of Khyber moved to buildings with infrastructure, photo: AFP/Mohammed Qasim

The tourists in the area will now be able to enjoy various activities such as trips to the springs, a tour among the ancient houses, a visit to the nearby volcanoes and even a helicopter flight over ancient tombs.

The inauguration of the site comes as part of a more extensive campaign by Saudi Arabia that began back in 2019 and aims to attract 30 million tourists from abroad every year until 2030. All of this is part of the ambitious vision of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the Kingdom's sources of income by the end of the decade , and not rely only on oil. 

Khyber.

A brutal battle between Jewish tribes and the army of Islam, photo: AFP/Mohamed Qassem

In a conversation with the French news agency, the tour guide in Khyber, Inas A-Sharif, said that it is important to reveal the history of the region.

"It is known that Khyber has a strong connection to religion, but the city also has a strong connection to history and human civilization. All these things are concentrated in one place."

In the 1970s, the Saudi government pushed residents to leave their old homes and move to newer buildings with water and electricity infrastructure.

Saifi al-Shalali, who used to live in the old houses in Khyber, told the media that they wanted to develop and left.

For his part, he is satisfied with the initiation of the tourist site which should help the local residents to earn a living.

Women weave cloths in Khyber, photo: AFP/Mohammed Qasim

There is also an archaeological excavation team working in Khyber that reveals new details about human life and the development of the climate in the region.

The project, supported by the French government, is expected to last until 2024. Among the interesting discoveries are mysterious tombs that look like a chain when viewed from above.

The origin of these graves is still unclear and they date back to an ancient period of 5,000 years ago.

Naturally, the question was asked whether Jews would be able to visit the old city.

Well, those who hold a foreign passport will be able to do so from now on.

The Israelis who do not hold such a passport will have to wait at least until the normalization of relations between the countries.

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Source: israelhayom

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