Giqh Market سوق غيقه

also known as Bir ibn Hassani

Ancient Caravan Market where pilgrims would rest when traveling between the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah

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Imagine travelling on your camel through the desert, the sun is beating down, you are tired, thirsty and in need of a freshly prepared meal. Slowly into sight comes a large collection of buildings. You hear the sound of pots being tapped, coffee being ground, camels calling. The bright colours of the carpets are a feast for the eyes; the sight of the bright flames lifts your spirits. As you draw nearer you see many people, lots of shops and several wells. At last you can stop and rest. Eat, sleep and catch up on the news that these market’s inevitably bring.

Giqh market سوق غيقه still exists, but it is quiet now. No more people, no more stories being told around the fire. Since the advent of the motorcar it has diminished until its usefulness is no more. In the past, it was known as Bir ibn Hassani, after one of four wells located there and was used by pilgrims travelling between Mecca to Madinah. It is big, almost 300m long and 130m wide. At the front there are 3 formal buildings with arched windows, tall ceilings and rendered walls. Other buildings are of basic construction with bare stone and mud bricks. To the right is the mosque, with pillars that would have provided a covered area and shade for the congregation. At the furthest end sits the mihrab, indicating the direction of Mecca (qibla) and the direction of prayer.

The remains of a very large building, maybe a meeting hall or reception area for visitors is also present. 20 pillars arranged in a square formation would have supported a large flat roof probably made of palm tree trunks. Interestingly it only has walls on 3 sides, the font ‘wall’ is completely open, presumably providing access for the large, shaded reception area. When I saw the pillars for the first time many years ago, I thought it was the mosque. The presence of the other mosque and the absence of a mihrab and missing wall, leads me to conclude it had another purpose. 

There are several references to the market over time -

Ibrahim Pasha

Ibrahim Pasha (Governor of Jeddah 1811-1840), in his book, Mirror of the Two Holy Shines, 1819, refers to reaching the well of Ibn Hassani, where ‘we stayed there and there is a great market, houses and 4 wells of good water’

TE Lawrence

TE Lawrence visited briefly in 1916, describing the most fantastic, fretted shapes of Jebel Subh to the east of Bir ibn Hassani.

King ibn Saud

In late November 1926, King ibn Saud, along with his son, Prince Faisal met the British Consul from Jeddah at Abyar ibn Hassani (one of many versions of the name)

Prince Abdullah bin Faisal

The most endearing account comes from Prince Faisal’s son, Prince Abdullah bin Faisal. In 1928, when he was 5 years old, he met his father for the first time next to Bir ibn Hassani. He had never met him before and imagined him to be a superhero with a cape. When he returned to his mother in Riyadh, he told her he was a normal person like the rest of us. Such is the innocence of children.

This shows that the location was regularly used in the early days of the Kingdom as an important meeting place.

All rights reserved to Sands in Time. ©2023SandsInTime ©SaudiTravelNotes