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Hajj Guide

An Introduction to the Sacred Sites of Hajj

Chapter pages

Chapter 3 of 12

An Introduction to the Sacred Sites of Hajj

  1. 1Al-Masjid al-Haram
  2. 2The boundaries of the Haram
  3. 3The Holy Kaaba
  4. 4Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone)
  5. 5Rukn al-Yamani
  6. 6Multazam
  7. 7Maqam Ibrahim
  8. 8Mataf
  9. 9Safa and Marwah
  10. 10Mas‘a
  11. 11The birthplace of the Prophet ﷺ
  12. 12Mount Abu Qubais and Mount Ajyad
  13. 13Historical Sites of Makkah—Mount Hira
  14. 14Cave of Thawr
  15. 15Dar al-Nadwah
  16. 16Zubaydah Canal

Zubaydah Canal

1 min readLast updated September 11, 2026

Nahr Zubaydah is a freshwater stream or canal. Zubaydah, the wife of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, had it excavated to provide drinking water for the pilgrims. Originating in the Nu‘man Valley near the distant Iraqi city of Mosul, it flowed past Ta’if, through the valleys of Arafah and ‘Uranah, and continued toward Makkah. Nahr Zubaydah was excavated approximately 1,200 years ago. Its ruins can still be seen today. In 1421 AH, Crown Prince Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz issued a decree to investigate how this canal could be utilized in the present day.