Ta'if

Understand

Ta'if literally means 'circulated' or 'encircled' in Arabic. It is said that the name of the city comes from a wall that was built around the city in pre-Islamic times. Certainly the city existed in those times, before the 7th century CE. There's no direct mention of Ta'if in the Qu'ran, but Sura 43:31 mentions two cities which scholars believe were Mecca and Ta'if. Ta'if does play a role in other Islamic writings. After Khadija, Muhammad's first wife. died in 619 CE, he made his way to Ta'if and tried to spread Islam in the city, but was rudely rejected by the city's chiefs, was pelted with rocks and stones, and was chased out of the city. Bloodied and seriously wounded, he was taken in by a gardener who nursed him back to health. After recovering, Muhammad realised he could no longer enter Mecca because his uncle, Abu Thalib, was no longer there to protect him. In the years to follow, various battles left the city completely isolated and eventually, the inhabitants of the city were peacefully converted to Islam. The Ottoman Empire dominated the city for several hundred years until World War I when the Hashemites (the family who traditionally ruled Mecca) led an Arab revolt against them. In the 1920s, Ta'if was incorporated into Saudi Arabia by the ibn Saud family after a short battle. This was part of the process of founding modern-day Saudi Arabia. At the time Ta'if was a relatively small, unknown city. In the years to follow, the Saudi government has rapidly developed the city, and it is now a popular tourist destination among the Saudis. In the 1930s, a treaty that established the boundary lines between Saudi Arabia and Yemen was signed here.

Getting there

For more information entering the country, see the Saudi Arabia article.

By car

Given Ta'if's highly mountainous geography, almost no highways pass through the city. The only exception is Highway 15, which connects Ta'if to Mecca. Approaching Ta'if, the scenery along it is breathtaking.

If you're in Mecca and plan on driving to Ta'if, just go along Highway 15. You'll reach Ta'if in less than an hour. Most people drive to Ta'if from Jeddah.

One route is Highway 40 to Mecca, then Highway 15. The journey should take you two hours or a bit more depending on traffic conditions; expect Highway 40 to be completely jammed and packed during the Hajj. Bear in mind that this path will take through Mecca and under Saudi law, non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca. The usual route from Jeddah for non-Muslims starts along highway 40. A few miles outside of Mecca, there is a cutoff referred to as the "Christian bypass", route 298. It is well marked and a police checkpoint to turn non-Muslims away from the holy city is visible a bit beyond it. Turn along this highway to connect to Highway 15 and reach Taif. Time on this route might be about three hours.

By plane If you're not into long road trips, another convenient way to enter the city is by plane. If flying from Jeddah, you'll easily reach the city in less than 45 minutes. If coming from Riyadh, you'll reach the city in less than 90 minutes.

1 Ta'if International Airport (TIF IATA), ☏ +966 800 116 8888. The airport offers flights to Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and several major cities around Saudi Arabia. The airport has only one terminal and can accommodate some 550,000 people each year. There are plans to construct another terminal to accommodate pilgrims for the Hajj and Umrah, but due to COVID-19, work on the terminal has been delayed. (updated Jan 2022)

By train As of January 2022 Taif is not served by any railway networks. There is a plan to introduce a railway network in the ci

Getting around

By car Due to the city's mountainous geography, the best way to get around the city quickly is by car. With an area of 800km², it should take you a couple of hours to cover the whole city. If you are considering renting a car during your stay in the city, here are a few companies to choose from. As with any service, do your due diligence and research, and do check if your drivers license is valid in Saudi Arabia.

3 Theeb, Ta'if International Airport. Car rental service. You can rent a car from the Theeb stall in the Ta'if airport. (updated Jan 2022) 4 Alwefaq, Ta'if International Airport, ☏ +966 9200 02909. Car rental service. You can rent a car from the Alwefaq stall in the Ta'if airport. Prices are somewhat reasonable, but they can charge as high as 2000-3000 SAR if you intend to rent out an SUV or a luxury car. (updated Jan 2022) 5 Hanco, Ta'if International Airport. Car rental service. You can rent a car from the Hanco stall in the Ta'if airport. (updated Jan 2022)

By taxi Uber is fully operational in Ta'if. You can hail an Uber at the airport without any hesitation. It's a convenient option if you want to cover the whole city quickly, or if you do not feel too comfortable driving on Saudi roads.

By foot If you are in the main city center, a lot of attractions are within walking distance. Since the climate is not too extreme, Ta'if provides a good outlet for long-distance walks, especially during the summers.

See

Ta'if has been often been called the "best summer destination" in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, this couldn't be any more right because there are a plethora of things to see and do in Ta'if.

Historical attractions 1 Souk Okaz. Was once the largest and best known open-air market in the Islamic world. Now hosts multiple events such as poetry recital competitions, arts and crafts exhibitions, and so on. (updated Jan 2022) 2 Abdullah Al-Suleiman Palace. An abandoned, historical palace. (updated Jan 2022) 3 Al-Kateb House. A historical building that includes a number of Islamic decorations and Roman pillars. (updated Jan 2022) Al-Waht and Al-Waheit. A pre-Islamic archaelogical site located in the west of Taif. (updated Jan 2022) 4 Bab Alrea. A triple-arched gate to the old city. (updated Jan 2022)

Rose plantations

One of Ta'if's biggest exports is rose oil, and it forms an important part of the city's economy and identity. Every spring, the city blooms up with red and pink roses, and more than 300 million roses are cultivated by almost 900 rose plantations each year.

5 Al Gadhi Rose Factory. The largest rose oil factory in the city (and probably the whole of Saudi Arabia), it has been run and owned by the Al-Gadhi family for more than a hundred years. The factory is hugely popular among Emirati people; some of them buy the oil by the liter. The Yemeni corner in Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca is scented with Al Gadhi rose oil. $430 (1,600 SAR) for a 12-gram bottle. (updated Jan 2022) Ta'if is sometimes referred to as the "City of Roses" (Arabic:مدينة الورود). The rose oil produced in Ta'if is of top quality; even luxury brands such as Givenchy and Jimmy Choo commonly use it to make their perfumes. Some of the many perfume vendors in the Cairo bazaar will claim their oil comes from Ta'if, but such claims are often dubious. Shiraz in Iran is also sometimes c