Tayma

Tayma (or Taima, Tema ) (Arabic تيماء, DMG TAYMA ʾ ) is a large oasis in Saudi Arabia with a long history of settlement. It is located in the northeast of the Hejaz, at about the point where the old road as incense trade route between Yathrib ( Medina ) and Dumah begins to cross the desert Nefud. Tayma is located 264 kilometers southeast of the city of Tabuk ( also belongs to the same province ) and about 400 kilometers north of Medina.

Topography

Tayma, about 830 m above sea level, lies in a valley between the eastern foothills of the Hejaz Mountains in the west and the Nefud ( desert ) to the east. North of the present settlement a fossil lake is upstream, in which only very rarely collects water. The lake developed in the course of a Salt Flat (Arabic sabkha ), which still existed as a considerable lake 20,000 years ago and probably dried out in the fifth millennium BC. The mud from the salt flats was used for the production of clay bricks that were earmarked for the construction of the ancient city wall.

At the lowest points groundwater is only 1.5 m below the surface, in other instances, well 40 m. The oasis was thousands of years one of the most important palm oases. Through irrigation they now reached a figure of 80,000 date palms at four times the surface opposite to the fifties.

Stone Age

Numerous petroglyphs around Tayma with representations of humans and animals demonstrate the presence of people in the area as early as the Neolithic period.

Nomads

The scientists of the German Archaeological Institute, which explore the oasis (see web link), assume that cattle nomads visited the area because of the water resources since the 3rd millennium BC.

Egyptian

In July 2010, According to a statement found the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities ( SCTA ) archaeologists near Tayma the first ancient hieroglyphic inscription on Saudi territory. It bears the cartouches of the pharaoh Ramses III. , Who ruled until 1156 BC. The archaeologists believe that at that time an important trade route led through Tayma that connected the Nile Delta and the Red Sea. Were transported incense, copper, gold and silver.

City formation and city wall

When the area of the new development in Sumer and the northern Levantine coast was followed to the city formation is unknown. But evidence is from the 2nd millennium BC, an outer perimeter wall of clay and sandstone of about 10 meters, which enclosed an area of ​​approximately 20 hectares, which represented the livelihood of the residents: a sprawling oasis of palm trees. This first wall was built in the following centuries and finally reached a length of 15 kilometers. The mounting impressed even in the 11th century Arab historian Abu Abdullah Al- Bakri.

Grave finds inside the wall, right at the outer wall made ​​from wood and ivory with ornate decorations point to the Late Bronze period of the late 2nd millennium BC.

Interior wall

The construction of an inner wall with towers at a distance of approximately 100 meters to the outer wall during the 1st millennium BC, archaeologists interpret as an indication of warlike conflicts with regional competitors such as the Kingdom of Lihyan with the oasis Dedan (antique Dadanu ), which lies about 150 km south-west of Tayma.

Settlement history of the Iron Age

In the protected center of the settlement, five found by pottery and other finds good distinct architectural layers, which piled up to six meters and cover a period of eight centuries, from the middle of the first millennium. This Iron Age settlement is marked by stone houses. Most of them were small and medium-sized houses, can also be detected in the traces of food processing and craft activities as well as a large representative building of 500 square meters with a portico. The head of a former three -meter statue, which was made ​​as a monolith, another statue of this size, which is in the Museum of the City today as well as other objects in the building as well as comparative Fund ais the near Dedan, suggest that it is a temple acted. In the rubble of the building there was also a bow Tele with a standing before Astralsysmbolen king, indicate their imagery and their fragmentary cuneiform text (no name preserved inscription ) on King Nabonidus. It is unclear whether later have incorporated the oasis in their rule, the Achaemenids.

Tiglath- Pileser III. received tribute from Tayma and Sennacherib designated one of the gates of Nineveh as the Wüstentor through which the " arrived gifts Sumu'aniten and Teymeiten ". In Assyrian sources it is mentioned that at that time there was a local Arab dynasty Tayma. The names of two queens of the eighth century BC have been handed down as Schamsi and Zabibei.

In the so-called " Harran inscription " is mentioned as the Babylonian king Nabonidus end of the third year of the reign to 553 BC, moved his seat of government to Tayma. During the campaign, with which he established his rule in the region, he also subdued the places Yathrib (now Medina ), and Dedan. In stanza poem of Nabonidus is also reported his departure after Tayma with a large army. However, the other data in verse poem own propaganda character, why the more veracity is questionable. The Nabonidus Chronicles confirm his stay in Tayma for his 7th to 11th year of reign. For the first six years of the text contains gaps. Nabonidus interest for this region, in what is now northern Saudi Arabia, probably was economic; for example, to acquire control of the frankincense trade.

It has been found cuneiform inscriptions in Tayma that could come from the sixth century BC. Dating from around 500 BC, produced some Aramaic text finds. From Al- Mushamrakhah, some hills southwest of Tayma a rock inscription dates in lihyanitischer font. It contains, among other things, the letter sequence " NBND / MLK / BBL " designated " nabend malik babel " to German: is " Nabonidus king of Babylon ," interpreted.

According to Arab traditions Tayma was dominated in late antiquity of a Jewish dynasty, however, whether these exiled Jews or the Arab descendants of converts were, is not clear. In the 630ern the city fell to the Muslims and the inhabitants were treated as dhimmis. Later, many inhabitants were expelled.

In the summer of 1181 Renaud de Châtillon raided at Tayma on the road from Damascus to Mecca, a Muslim caravan, breaking the 1180 ceasefire agreement concluded with Saladin.

Ancient gods

Discovered in Tayma inscriptions refer to the worship of a divine triad Salm, Sengalla and Ashima. The highest of these three is Salm. It is mentioned in connection with three place names: mchrm, hgm and rb (or db), whose pronunciation and localization is uncertain. Her symbol is a ( winged ) sun. Sengalla, however, the Moon is associated with (and possibly the name in connection with the Assyrian moon deity Sin to understand ). Ashima is symbolized by the star of Venus.

Biblical references

For the seventh century BC, mentioned in the Old Testament that Tayma was at this time rich and proud enough to cause Jeremiah to prophesy against them ( Jer 25:23).

In the New Testament, the city is mentioned several times. In the Bible, was one of the sons of Ishmael Tema. The German Archaeological Institute has been involved since 2004 excavation campaigns locally.

Caravans and incense trade

Tayma was the most important oasis on one of the main trade routes of the ancient world, the incense road connecting southern Arabia with the Levant. The camel caravans who made the incense gained in South Arabia to the north, use the palm oases of Arabia as a resting place and to trading.

Places of interest

• The Qasr Al- Ablaq castle is located in the southwest of the city. It was built by the Jewish poet and warrior Samuel ibn ' Adiya and his grandfather ' Adiya in the 6th century.
• The Qasr Al -Hamra was built in the 7th century.
• The old Tayma is surrounded on three sides by an archaeologically important town wall, which was built in the 6th century BC.
• Qasr Al- Radhm
• Fountain of Haddaj, ( Bir Haddaj ), reportedly the largest fountains in the Arabian Peninsula. The fountain has a diameter of 18 meters and is surrounded by approximately 70 scoops. In each case, conveyed by a rope that is deflected by a the edge of the fountain high mounted wheel of a draft animal, usually a camel, the water from about thirteen meters depth to the surface through a "bucket ( Gharb ) ". In 1962 there were already six pumps and the old scoops fell slowly. In the nineties, the entire system was at the request of the Governor of Tabuk Region, Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abd al - Aziz, and placed under the guidance of Mohamed Al- Najem, head of the local " Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography " in state and surrounded by a park-like setting.
• Cemeteries
• Many inscriptions in the area in Aramaic, Lihyanitisch, Thamudic, Nabatäisch
• Qasr Al- Bejaidi
• Hill Al- Hadiqah
• Many museums