30.7°

Usfan

The Memory of the Land Traversed by Caravans

Makkah

Usfan is a valley located north of Makkah, along the caravan route to Madinah. Its northern part contains a defunct settlement, across the surface of which are scattered pottery and ceramic shards dating back to successive Islamic eras.

Usfan Valley is situated on the historic route between Makkah and Madinah, approximately 110 kilometers north of Makkah.

It is regarded as a site of geographical and historical importance, as it was part of the routes used by pilgrims and commercial caravans. The routes linked the two Holy Mosques since the dawn of Islam.

In the northern part of the valley, there is a defunct settlement whose remains are still scattered across the ground. These remnants consist of pottery shards dating back to various Islamic periods and ceramic shards indicating the presence of architecture or relatively sophisticated living activity.

Although there are no obvious architectural details, these material pieces of evidence reveal an established residential life in the early or subsequent Islamic eras, making Usfan a potential rest stop or temporary settlement on the road between Makkah and Madinah.