Ain Zubaidah in Makkah: A Historic Water Source

For over 1,200 years, historic Ain Zubaidah has been Makkah's most important and enduring spring, providing water to pilgrims, Umrah performers, and the city's residents.

 Historian Issa Al-Qasir told to the Saudi Press Agency that Darb Zubaidah is a network of cisterns strategically located along a route extending from Iraq, passing through several regions in the Kingdom, to Makkah, designed to store floodwater for extended periods, benefiting travelers along these routes.

 Ain Zubaidah itself is a canal that has carried abundant water since 164 AH. It traverses land north of Taif, passes through Wadi Naaman east of Makkah, and reaches the plains of Arafat, providing essential water, particularly during times of scarcity.

 Over centuries, the areas around Ain Zubaidah have fostered settlements and villages. The spring's water irrigated farms and fields along its course, and became a popular destination for residents of Makkah and Taif, especially around the villages of Al-Zaymah, Al-Waqf, and Al-Madiq.

 While the water level of the spring fluctuates depending on rainfall, it has been crucial to the environmental and urban development of Makkah region.

 Ain Zubaidah made the arduous journey of Hajj and Umrah performers into a more secure and comfortable experience.