Souq Okaz

Souq Okaz was a market and gathering held in the months of truce before Islam, at which tribes traded and poets competed, and the poems judged best are said to have been hung at the Kaaba; the fair is a foundational reference point for Arabic literature. It lapsed in the early Islamic period. The site outside Taif was revived from 2007 as an annual festival, with a purpose-built venue holding poetry competitions, theatre, craft markets, falconry displays, horse events and reconstructions of the historical fair, running for a few weeks in the season. Outside the festival the grounds are largely empty and there is little to see.

History

The market ran for twenty-one days each year in the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah before the Hajj, roughly from 542 to 726 CE, between Nakhla and Taif, and besides trade the tribes met there to settle disputes, make agreements and hold poetry competitions and races. Its importance declined after the rise of Islam, the historian Muhammad bin Abdallah al-Blahad rediscovered its site, and a major study of it was published in 1960 (Wikipedia, Souk Okaz).

Highlights

• The poetry competitions - the revived contests that define the fair.
• Craft and heritage markets - the stalls and demonstrations on the grounds.
• Horse and falconry displays - the performance programme.
• The festival venue - the purpose-built grounds outside Taif.

When to go

The festival usually runs in the late summer months, with dates announced each year, and that is the only time the site is worth visiting. Evenings are when the programme runs and the heat drops.

Before you go

Outside the festival weeks the grounds are empty. The event is a modern reconstruction rather than a continuation. Programming is in Arabic and much of it depends on language. Accommodation in Taif fills during the festival.

Nearby

Taif lies west; Al Hada road climbs the escarpment beyond it.