Taif
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Ta'if الطائف |
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| City | |||
Taif skyline
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| Nickname(s): City of Roses | |||
 Ta'if
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| Coordinates: 21°26′N 40°21′E / 21.433°N 40.350°ECoordinates: 21°26′N 40°21′E / 21.433°N 40.350°E | |||
| Country |
 Saudi Arabia
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| Province | Makkah | ||
| Established | From the 6th century BC | ||
| Joined Saudi Arabia | 1924 | ||
| Government | |||
| • City Mayor | Fahad bin Abdulaziz bin Muammar | ||
| • Provincial Governor | Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud | ||
| Elevation | 1,879 m (6,165 ft) | ||
| Population (2010-2011) | |||
| • Total | 1,281,613 | ||
| • Density | 1,623/km2 (4,238/sq mi) | ||
| Ta'if City Census | |||
| Time zone | Arabian Standard Time (UTC+3) | ||
| Postal Code | (5 digits) | ||
| Area code(s) | +966-2 | ||
| Website | http://www.taifcity.gov.sa | ||
Ta'if (Arabic: الطائف; (aṭ-Ṭā'if)) is a city in Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) on the slopes of Sarawat Mountains (Al-Sarawat Mountains). It has a population of 1,200,000 people and is the unofficial summer capital. The city is the center of an agricultural area known for its grapes, pomegranate, figs, roses and honey.
The inhabitants of Ta'if are largely made up of Saudi Arabians who are Hanbali and Maliki Sunnis. There are also significant foreign populations, primarily from Asia, Turkey, and other Arab countries that are also present in Ta'if.
In the 6th century the city of Tā'if was dominated by the Banu Thaqif tribe, which still lives in and around the city of Taif today. It has been suggested that Jewish tribes who were displaced by Ethiopian Christians in the Himyarite Kingdom wars settled near Taif.
The town is about 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Mecca. The walled city was a religious centre as it housed the idol of the goddess Allāt, who was then known as "the lady of Tā'if." Its climate marked the city out from its dry and barren neighbours closer to the Red Sea. Wheat, vines, and fruit were grown around Tā'if and this is how the city earned its title "the Garden of the Hejaz".
During the Year of the Elephant, this city was involved in the events.
Both Ta'if and Mecca were resorts of pilgrimage. Ta'if was more pleasantly situated than Mecca itself and the people of Ta'if had close trade relations with the people of Mecca. The people of Ta'if carried on agriculture and fruit‑growing in addition to their trade activities.
In 630, the Battle of Hunayn took place at Hunayn, close to this city. Shortly after that, the unsuccessful Siege of Ta'if took place. The city was assaulted by catapults from Banu Daws, but it repelled the attacks. The Battle of Tabouk in 631 left Tā'if completely isolated, so members of Thaqīf arrived in Mecca to negotiate the conversion of the city to Islam. The idol of Al-lāt was destroyed along with all of the other signs of the city's previously pagan existence.
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Wikipedia