Hatim al-Tai Site, Tuwarin

The Hatim al-Tai site is a historic location in the village of Tuwarin, set among the Aja mountains north-west of the city of Hail in northern Saudi Arabia. It comprises the remains of old buildings and a grave that are both attributed to Hatim al-Tai, together with the spot known as the mawqid, or fire-place, on a nearby height.

Hatim ibn Abdullah al-Tai was a poet and horseman of the Tayy tribe who lived in the pre-Islamic period, shortly before the rise of Islam. His name became proverbial among the Arabs for generosity. Tradition relates that he lit a fire at night on high ground so that travellers and passers-by could find their way to his dwelling and be received as guests, which is the origin of the name mawqid.

Tuwarin lies in a valley enclosed by granite rocks. Visitors see the ruins of a stone and mud residence and a long, walled grave, and in the distance the summit on which the fire is said to have been lit. The site carries great symbolic weight in the Hail region, which takes pride in its link to Hatim and treats his generosity as its emblem.