Mount Uhud - "Upon the Gate of Heaven"

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said “Uhud is a mountain which loves us and which we love, it is upon the Gate of Heaven”, adding, “and Ayr is a place which hates us and which we hate, it is upon the Gate of Hell”. The reason for Mount Ayr being labelled as such is because it was the location of a stronghold of the polytheist Mushrikites. (Hadith Answers) The monotheist Muslim forces fought a fierce battle with them at the foot of Mount Uhud in the Battle of Uhud, and several Muslim leaders were martyred in the fight. Today, the Martyrs Mosque, Masjid Sayyid al-Shuhada, stands here in their memory next to the historic cemetery containing the bodies of 70 martyrs. Another historic landmark, the Archers’ Hill, played an important role in the battle. On its top fifty archers were positioned to shield the vulnerable flanks of the Muslim army, which despite being outnumbered appeared to be winning the battle. However, the archers disobeyed orders to remain stationary, shifting the outcome in favor of the Mushrikites. (Wikipedia) Though they inflicted significant losses on the Muslims it wasn’t a decisive victory. In their final confrontations, the Battle of the Trench and the Conquest of Mecca, the Muslim forces won conclusively. The hike to Mount Uhud commences from this historic area.

It’s a moderate hike, but there is hardly any shade. The path is not the most exciting as it is just a dirt road used by 4WD vehicles, but the views are magnificent. Depending on how far you go, the hike takes 2-4 hours.

The hike in Google Maps

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