Ta'if

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 521,273 (2004 census). Each summer the Saudi government and royal family move from the heat of Riyadh to Ta'if, the unofficial summer capital. The city is the centre of an agricultural area known for its grapes, pomegranate, figs, roses and honey.

Ethnography

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.

History

Early history

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".