Ain Zubaydah

The Ain Zubaydah canal wraps around the slopes of Mount Rahmah on three sides, with beautiful stone faucets installed for pilgrims to easily drink from. Beneath it, channels were constructed to collect the water used for ablution, which then flowed to the nearby farms that existed at that time.

Ain Zubaydah is the largest and oldest water network in Mecca, established by Zubaydah bint Ja’far, the wife of Harun al-Rashid, in the year 194 AH in response to the suffering of the residents of Mecca and the pilgrims of the Sacred House from water shortages and high prices. During that time, a single water carrier was sold for ten silver dirhams in the holy sites.

Ain Zubaydah springs from the tail of Jabal Kura near Taif, located 24 km east of Mecca, and its canal extends from Wadi Numan to Arafat, passing through the slopes of Mount Rahmah, then heading towards Muzdalifah, passing through the Daqm al-Wabr, and then running behind the southern side of Mount Mina until it pours into a large well known as “Zubaydah’s Well” in an area known today as Mahbas al-Jinn.

For twelve hundred years, Ain Zubaydah provided the people of Mecca and its pilgrims with fresh water, maintained throughout the ages, undergoing many renovations and repairs. Its remnants still exist in various locations around Mount Rahmah, between Arafat and Muzdalifah, and on the outskirts of Mount Mina in Al-Aziziyah.

With the significant developments witnessed in the Kingdom and the increasing number of pilgrims each year, a giant project was established to supply chilled water to all locations where pilgrims gather in the holy sites. Ain Zubaydah remains a testament to the immense efforts made by previous generations to serve the guests of Allah.