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Ashm

The Golden City Whose Lights Were Extinguished

Makkah

Ashm is a defunct archaeological settlement located northeast of Al-Qunfudhah. It was a thriving city religiously, civilly, and militarily, famous for its gold mine known since pre-Islamic times. More than 130 tombstones have been found there, suggesting its demise occurred between the late fifth and early sixth Hijri centuries.

Ashm is located approximately 65 km northeast of Al-Qunfudhah Governorate and 20 km from Al-Mudhaylif village. It is considered one of the most important defunct archaeological cities in Tihamah, and its ruins remain visible, containing remnants of religious, civil, and military buildings, alongside mining and grinding sites.

Among the site’s most prominent features is the famous Ashm Gold Mine, mentioned in historical sources since pre-Islamic times, and considered one of the oldest mining sites in the Arabian Peninsula.

More than 130 tombstones, dating back to the period between the first and fifth Hijri centuries, reveal an integrated society that was culturally and economically active.

Evidence suggests that the city began to decline in the late fifth Hijri century, and its lights were extinguished with the beginning of the sixth, leaving behind ruins filled with secrets, inscriptions, and buried gold.