A Visit to the Kaaba of Najran {Saudi Arabia ancient church}

Najran tourist board ^ | 24 April 2024

[Cronos]

The Kaaba of Najran, which was built by Abdel-Midan al-Harthy, local historians are suggesting that its more likely to be a church which is mentioned by Al-A'sha: The Kaaba of Najran is bound to you until you approach by its doors and visit “Yazid” and Christ believer and consider them as the best of its owners. The Kaaba of Najran was built east of the city on a mountain called Teslal. Among the modern historians who spoke to the Kaaba of Najran, Dr. Muhammad Al-Zulfah, says: "When the Arabs started the name of Kaaba of Najran on this church because of its shape, which resembles the shape of the cube. It is natural that this region witnessed in the mid- Historians argued that the Arab pilgrims where visiting it for more than 40 years until the dawn of Islam. The history books said that the church was made of leather and there is nothing left of it now, except that the historian Abdullah Philippi in 1939 wrote in his book that there is a place or space that takes the form of tawaf “Circular walk anti-clock wise around the cubical building”.

And Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Ansari, who stated that: "The area of Najran witnessed the construction of a church they used to call the Kaaba of Najran, and was used as a church to pray and worship god by the Christians of Najran in the era of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him, denying that the Holy Prophet had been happy to demolish it''

We were accompanied by Professor Ibrahim Ali Abu Saq in his capacity as an expert on this site. We have identified important sites such as the modern cemetery south of the mountain in the plain opposite the Great Ghar “Small Cave”, and the site of the five graves (non-Islamic) in the same southern side Which is different from what exists today except for the tomb (north-south). Abu Saq also guided us to a site by oaks (natural ponds). During this short tour, we summarize our observations, observations and perceptions in the following:

1- The most noticeable site to us is the central area on top of the mountain, which is superbly protected and has a view that provides the visitor the knowledge of all directions.

2– The central region - as we called it -Natural aquifers are abundant and we have observed the discharge of water through channels, some of which are superficial, some of which are submerged in the rock and appear to have shear effects. To store water in these rock pits to enjoy the central area up the mountain with water if possible or could be a baptism site!

3- Most of the rocks are primed in an irregular manner, either on the sides of the drainage channels or for other purposes that may be guarded and controlled.

4- There is no indication of human settlement for long periods or urban chain on the place, we did not see the effects of the foundations of stone buildings or inscriptions or drawings.

5- Based on we have experienced, we guess, we think, we believe that the Kaaba of Najran “The great church” is located at the flat are on the top of the mount which was built by “Banu Al- Dayan”. And because of the appropriate site for a temple to be built, there is a small mosque at the exact same location here and now.

Najran was a sacred site for Christians in the region and attracted pilgrims from surrounding areas. The Banu Khath'am tribe had a deep connection to this religious shrine. The Christian Kaaba of Najran represented the blending of Christianity with local Arabian traditions and beliefs, symbolizing the religious diversity and syncretism that existed in pre-Islamic Arabia.

There were various other shrines and temples dedicated to different deities in the Arabian Peninsula before the advent of Islam. For example, in Zafar, an ancient city in Yemen, there was a cubic shrine known as the "Kaaba" located at Tabalah. This shrine was associated with the Qahtanite tribes and had its own religious significance. Major temples dedicated to the Sabaean moon-god, "Al-Makah," were present at Barran and Awwam in Ma'rib, another region in Yemen. These temples served as significant religious centers in the Sabaean civilization.

Another shrine is the "Kaaba-i Zarathustra" or "Cube of Zoroaster," located at the site of Naqsh-i Rustam in Fars, Iran. The Kaaba-i Zarathustra is believed to have been constructed in the mid-3rd century CE, although the site itself dates back to the ancient Elamite period of the Iron Age. Naqsh-i Rustam, which includes a necropolis, holds historical and cultural significance associated with the Achaemenid and Sassanian civilizations. The Kaaba-i Zarathustra served as a place of worship and reverence for the followers of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra).

Also, The cubic shrine at Nakhla, located in the Hijaz region of Arabia, was associated with the worship of the goddess Al-Uzza. The Mudar tribe, among others, worshipped Al-Uzza at this Kaaba.

Al-Uzza was one of the prominent pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses and was revered by different tribes in the region. The cubic shrine at Nakhla served as a focal point for the worship and rituals associated with Al-Uzza. Pilgrims and devotees would visit the shrine to seek blessings and offer sacrifices to the goddess. The Meccan cube mimicked the antecedent Yemeni cube…which mimicked the antecedent (Nabataean) cube at Petra.

Later, after the Islamic movement sought to distance itself from its Nabataean roots, a new sacred space was established. It is speculated that this change may or may not have been influenced by a figure named Abdullah, the son of Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam from Basra. Abdullah asserted himself as the Khalifa in the Hijaz region between 683 and 692, which led to conflicts with the Umayyads in Damascus. It is suggested that during this time, he may have taken the black stone from Petra and established a new cubic shrine at the site that eventually became known as "Mecca."

https://www.usna.edu/Users/humss/bwheeler/kaaba_blocks.html

There were other stones associated with different Kaabas in ancient times that had different colors. In pre-Islamic Arabia, there were accounts of Kaabas or shrines dedicated to various deities, and some of these shrines housed stones that were believed to have special significance. One such example is the Kaaba of the Himyarites in Yemen, which reportedly had a red stone associated with it. This stone was believed to be sacred and symbolized the presence of the deity worshipped at that shrine. There were also accounts of Kaabas or shrines with white stones, Dhul al-Khalasa is a tribal deity or idol associated with the Kaaba. It is mentioned that the idol had a white stone.

Dhul Khalasa, also known as the "Yemeni Kaaba," is a term that refers to a sanctuary or a sacred site in ancient Arabia. It has been associated with the Kaaba of al-Yamamah.

https://www.aathaar.net/en/place/3550 Mohammed soon had all these other shrines/kaabas destroyed except the Quraysh kaaba in Mecca, (as attested in Bukhari’s Hadith no. 3020, 4355-57, and 6333 when speaking of the campaign in Yemen led by a Jarir Al-Ahmas).

[Cronos]

there is no mention of Mecca before the 8th century. Pretty weird that an alleged "rich trading city" is not mentioned ~when we have detailed maps before this of Arabian trading cities

oh and Mecca wasn't on the trade route from India via Yemen

[Rockingham]

The received official biography of Muhammed and the supposed history of the beginnings of Islam have far too many gaps and contradictions to survive sustained scrutiny. Hence believers are directed to accept the Koran as true without qualification and infidels are menaced for asking questions.

[PGalt]

Interesting history. Thanks for posting.

[PGalt]

They do have some visually beautiful structures.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HWghTVdDGDM

[Dr. Franklin]

Archeologists in Saudi Arabia do find the ruins of old churches, but they don’t get well advertised due to the intolerance of Muslims. The present crown prince wishes to increase tourism to KSA, so some of this could be for that purpose. Muslims are taught that Jews and Christians once prayed like modern Muslims do, but their worship got corrupted through the centuries. It’s a fantasy, but that is what they are taught.