Roads of Arabia

18 Arabie US p308-317_BAT.qxd 23/06/10 22:05 Page 314
ROADS OF ARABIA
Qaryat al-Faw
The power of the kings of Kinda became progressively weaker before they joined up with
the troops of Himyar. Kinda is mentioned much later, in the 5th and 6th centuries AD, in
inscriptions discovered in Wadi Ma’sal 7 and in one of the inscriptions engraved for Abraha 8
(Abyssinian king of Yemen in the first quarter of the 6th century). The latter document records
the critical role played by the Kindites in various expeditions and military attacks.
Arab sources refer to the presence of a kingdom of Kinda at the centre of the Arabian
Peninsula but without specifying all the towns and cities that belonged to it, such as Ghamr
Dhi Kinda near Taif and other places mentioned in the poems of Imru’ al-Qays. Lastly, these
texts signal the presence of Kinda in Persia and at Dumat al-Jandal, as well as the relationship
it maintained with the Byzantines.
With the advent of Islam, Kinda was a member of the delegations that visited the enlightened
city of Medina to recognize the Prophet, even though Qahtan seems to have fallen into
oblivion in the 3rd century AD.
Qaryat al-Faw owed its importance to its strategic location on the caravan routes that
linked South Arabia to the north-east of the peninsula, the shores of the Arabian Gulf and
Mesopotamia, and also to the north-east, towards the Hijaz and countries of the Levant.
An economic, religious, political and cultural centre at the heart of the peninsula, Qaryat
al-Faw was an influential city, particularly during the early years of the powerful kingdom
of Kinda.
made from sun-baked brick. This sturdy three-storied construction was equipped with seven
towers. The only entrance, on the west side, was a small door that opened onto the central court
where a very deep stone well had been dug. This courtyard was traversed by a water channel
and lined by rooms, stores and shops.
The temples
Three temples and an altar have been found at Qaryat al-Faw. Two are situated to the west of
the market. South Arabian inscriptions have revealed that the earliest was dedicated to several
divinities, of which one was al-Ahwar.
The remains of the second temple attest the religious nature of this part. This large temple
probably knew two major periods. In the first it was dedicated to the god Sin, in the second
to Shams. South Arabian inscriptions refer to the building of a sanctuary dedicated to the
gods Shams and Athtar.
The third temple, consecrated to the god Athtar Wadd, was discovered in the residential
quarter of Qaryat al-Faw. Unlike the first two, this temple is very well preserved and differs
from other sanctuaries in the region by its better-balanced plan. Its architecture, internal decoration
and inscriptions carved on the walls make reference to the god dhu Ghabat of the kingdom
of Lihyan.
A limestone altar dedicated to the god Aabit stood to the west of the residential district,
close to a large courtyard where a well was consecrated to Aabit and Kahl.
The market
Plan of the market at Qaryat al-Faw
7. Ryckmans 509–10.
8. Ryckmans 506.
The site
More than one hundred and twenty wells have been discovered. They were made easier to dig
given the position of the town on the edge of a wadi that flooded periodically. The large number
of pits reveals that the inhabitants were farmers and sedentary stock breeders. Channels
allowed them to direct the water to the heart of the oasis where palms, vines and various cereals
were grown. The trunks of palms and other trees were used to make the roofs of the houses,
while planks made of local or imported wood were used for doors and windows and household
tools, such as combs. Animal breeding was an important activity: the inhabitants owned
herds of cattle, sheep, goats and camels, and used their manure to fertilize the fields.
Qaryat al-Faw was an unprotected town: no wall or fortress has been discovered. It was an
easily accessible trading town and a staging point for travellers, merchants and pilgrims from
the different kingdoms of Arabia. To the east of the town Tuwaiq cliff provided a natural
defence. The residents constructed several large gateways on the north, south and west sides of
the town.
During the wars that they fought, the inhabitants of Qaryat al-Faw made use of horses, as
is attested by wall paintings and bronze figurines. Their weapons were swords, spears, longbows
and crossbows.
The building walls were constructed with sun-baked brick but the foundations, tombs and
funerary towers were all made of cut stone. The filler used was made from a mixture of plaster,
sand and ash.
The market
The market lay to the east of the residential district, on the west bank of the wadi that separates
Tuwaiq cliff from the edge of the town. With a length of 30.75 metres running east-west
and a width of 25.2 metres north-south, the massive enclosure wall was composed of three
parts: the central section built from limestone blocks, and the internal and external facings
The necropolises
Qaryat al-Faw stands out for the diversity of its types of tombs, which correspond to the different
periods during which the site was occupied. Family and collective tombs were reserved
for the town’s most important residents, who were members of the upper classes or of high
political ranks; for instance, the tombs of king Mu‘awiya bin Rabi‘a and Ijil ibn Hofi ‘amm,
both of which lay on the west side of the town. Another tomb, that of Ma‘sad ibn ‘Arsch, was
built in the tower section. Its discovery near a tower has revealed some of the characteristics
that distinguished graves and funerary stelae, which were prevalently dug out of the rock at
the back of family cemeteries. The public cemeteries to the north-east of the city were the
burial grounds for the less fortunate citizens of the town. They are similar to Muslim cemeteries,
consisting of an irregularly shaped terrain between one and five metres in depth, which
has remained practically unchanged nor been covered with lime. A mausoleum stood at the
highest point of the cemetery.
The residential quarter
This is one of the largest districts in Qaryat al-Faw. Excavation of this zone has enabled us to
know more about the daily life of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Kinda. The site knew three
major periods of occupation.
The huge houses 9 in the residential district were served by many streets and lanes. All the
buildings were characterized by the care with which they were constructed and the thickness of
their walls. These could be up to 1.8 metres in width and were made of stone blocks. South
Arabian inscriptions on the blocks demonstrate that they were brought from another site. The
doors and house frames were made of wood. Almost all the houses had a floor reached by stairs
(the shell of the stairway was used as a storage place and for grinding grain). They were
equipped with a system of water supply and outdoor pits for waste. We can also suppose that
latrines existed on the upper floor.
9. The largest measure 10 x 3 metres.
The market reconstructed in 3D
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