My City (Final Part)

Summary

The article concludes the "My City" series with a focus on the visual aspects of Taif, Saudi Arabia, summarizing its historical significance, tourist attractions, and providing a pictorial tour.

Abstract

The final part of the "My City" series serves as a conclusion to the narrative about Taif, a city located in the Hejaz Mountains of Saudi Arabia. It offers a brief recap of Taif's historical importance as a high-altitude valley that has been a part of pilgrimage routes for over three millennia. The article emphasizes Taif's reputation as a summer tourist destination, renowned for its cool climate and scenic beauty, earning it the nickname "Garden of the Hejaz." The author provides a visual journey through Taif, showcasing photographs of notable locations such as Al-Hada and Ash-Shafa, which are popular for picnics, as well as the historic Shubra Palace. The article includes images captured by the author and others, illustrating the city's charm and its transformation at night. The author expresses gratitude for the audience's engagement and invites others to share stories of their cities. Links to the previous parts of the series are also provided for readers who wish to explore more about Taif.

Opinions

The author values the feedback received from readers on the previous parts of the "My City" series.
Taif is highly regarded by the author as a tourist destination, particularly highlighting its cool weather and picturesque valleys.
The author appreciates the beauty of Taif, as evidenced by the inclusion of various photographs capturing its essence, both during the day and at night.
There is an open invitation for readers to share their own city stories, indicating a desire to foster a community of storytellers and cultural exchange.

Taif, Saudi Arabia

Entrance to Taif: Photo by Abdullah Hatim (My student)

Thank you for your valuable feedback on all the previous three parts. This part is the conclusion of the story. Here I’ll recap the description about Taif, but my focus will be on the pictorial view.

For the recap, I’m quoting introduction of Taif from the Part 1:

Taif is actually a valley of eastern Hejaz Mountains, at 1800 meters of altitude. Makkak, the holy city of Muslims, is about 100 kilometers from Taif. More than 3000 years ago, it was on the pilgrimage road to Makkah even before the advent of Islam.

Taif is a famous tourist place in Saudi Arabia, especially in summer, because of its cool weather and the beautiful valleys. It’s also called “Garden of the Hejaz”. Al-Hada and the village of Ash-Shafa are the popular picnic spots.