Wadi al-Qura (Arabic: وادي القرى, lit. 'Valley of Villages') is a wadi north of Medina in Saudi Arabia,[1] mentioned in early Islamic sources. It was located on the main trade road between the Hejaz and Syria.
The wadi is tentatively identified with the modern Wadi al-'Ula region. The meaning of the name, "Valley of Villages", suggests the area contained several villages. The 10th-century geographer Istakhri noted it was one of the most populous and agriculturally productive areas of Arabia. The 9th-century historian Ibn al-Kalbi described it as highly fertile and dotted with villages throughout.[2]
The wadi is referenced in many early Islamic texts. Several military expeditions took place there during the time of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. These include:
Recent discoveries of Geonic responsa have shown that there was a Jewish presence in Wadi al-Qura as late as the 11th century CE, and that they maintained correspondence with Rabbi Sherira Gaon and Rabbi Hai Gaon.[6]