Jabal Shammar

Jabal Shammar

 mountainous area, northwestern Saudi Arabia, bounded by the regions of Hejaz on the west and Ash-Sharqīyah on the east. The principal features of the region are the two great mountain ranges of Ajāʾ (granites) and Salmā (basalts) and the immense rolling sand dunes of An-Nafūd. The oasis town of Ḥāʾil is situated on the southern flank of the Ajāʾ, while an older capital, Fayd, lies in the midst of Salmā. Both towns were important stations on the pilgrim route to Medina from Iraq and Iran (Persia). But in modern times this traffic (by motor vehicle) is negligible, because the pilgrims prefer the amenities of Riyadh, which is accessible by air and by rail.

      The Jabal Shammar area has long been inhabited by the Shammar clan. An independent principality of the Ibn Rashīd dynasty from 1834 to 1921, Jabal Shammar was involved in constant strife among the eastern Saʿūd dynasty, the Rashīd rulers, and the sharifs (“nobles”) of Mecca until the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed in 1932.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shammar — The tribe of Shammar (Arabic: ar. شمّر Šammar ) is one of the largest tribes of Arabia, with over 1 million strong in Saudi Arabia concentrated in Hail, an estimated 1.5 Million in Iraq, Kuwaiti population centered in Aljahra is around 100,000,… …   Wikipedia

  • Geography of Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia is a country situated in Southwest Asia, largest country of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. Its extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially… …   Wikipedia

  • Saudi Arabia — a kingdom in N and central Arabia, including Hejaz, Nejd, and dependencies. 20,087,965; ab. 600,000 sq. mi. (1,554,000 sq. km). Cap.: Riyadh. Cf. Mecca. * * * Saudi Arabia Introduction Saudi Arabia Background: In 1902 Abd al Aziz Ibn SAUD… …   Universalium

  • Arabia, history of — Introduction       history of the region from prehistoric times to the present.       Some time after the rise of Islam in the first quarter of the 7th century AD and the emergence of the Arabian (Arab) Muslims as the founders of one of the great …   Universalium

  • Tayy — ( ar. طيء) is a large and ancient Arabian tribe belonging to the southern or Qahtanite branch of Arab tribes. Their original homeland was the area of the two mountains Aja and Salma in north central Arabia (currently Ha il Province, Saudi Arabia) …   Wikipedia

  • Najd — A view of the Tweig (Tuwaiq) Escarpment from the west. The Saudi capital Riyadh lies just beyond the horizon. Najd or Nejd (Arabic: نجد ‎, Naǧd), literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula …   Wikipedia

  • Kahlan — was one of the main tribal federations of Saba a in Yemen. Conflict with HimyarBy the 1st century BC Saba a was declining gradually and its southern neighbor Himyar was able to settle many Nomadic tribes that was allied to Saba a and create a… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabia — /euh ray bee euh/, n. a peninsula in SW Asia, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen Arab Republic, People s Democratic Republic of Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait: divided in ancient times into Arabia Deserta, Arabia Petraea, and …   Universalium

  • Najd — (năjd) See Nejd. * * * ▪ region, Saudi Arabia also spelled  Nejd,         region, central Saudi Arabia, comprising a mainly rocky plateau sloping eastward from the mountains of the Hejaz. On the northern, eastern, and southern sides, it is… …   Universalium

  • Najdi Arabic — Spoken in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Syria Native speakers 9,863,520  (date missing) Language family Afro Asiatic Se …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”