Jabal Thawr and the Cave of Thawr, Makkah

What Jabal Thawr is

Jabal Thawr is a rocky mountain south-east of Makkah. Saudipedia gives its height as about 760 metres above sea level. The Cave of Thawr sits in a hollow rock just below the peak and has two openings, one facing east and one facing west.

The cave is mentioned in the story of the hijrah, the Prophet’s move from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. It is described in Islamic history as the place where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his companion Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, stayed for three nights while the Quraysh searched for them. Saudipedia also links the cave to a verse of Surah at-Tawbah (9:40).

Do not confuse it with Jabal al-Nour. They are two different mountains on different sides of Makkah, and each has its own cave. The cave of Hira belongs to Jabal al-Nour.

Where it is and how far from the Haram

Jabal Thawr lies about 4 km south of Masjid al-Haram, according to Saudipedia. By road the distance is a little different, and travel time depends on traffic. The ground at the foot is a built-up part of Makkah.

At the base is the Jabal Thawr Cultural District, which Saudipedia describes as a development of more than 127,000 square metres overseen by the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites.

What visitors usually do there

Most visitors do one of two things:

1. See the mountain and the cultural district. People get out at the foot, take photographs, read the story of the hijrah, and look up at the cave. This is how it fits in a two hour tour.
2. Climb towards the cave. The slope is steep and the climb is long. Searches show many people asking about the climb time, and the honest answer is that it depends on your fitness and the heat. In our tour the mountain is seen from the roadside and the climb is not included.

Your driver will tell you before you leave the vehicle how long the stop will be, and the clock does not run against you inside the two hours of the tour.

Practical notes

• Heat. There is little shade on the mountain. Early morning is best.
• Footwear. The surface is rock and gravel. Closed shoes are better than sandals.
• Prayer times. Plan the stop away from the adhan, when parking and the visitor area get busier.

Which of our tours includes Jabal Thawr

The Makkah ziyarat has two tiers on one page, the Makkah ziyarat taxi. The two hour ziyarat covers Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Masjid Namirah, mostly viewed from the road.

Fares are for the whole vehicle, in Saudi Riyal, with the return to your hotel included.

Time beyond the tour is charged at the hourly rate, from SAR 80 an hour, and the driver tells you before that starts. You pay the driver at the end, in cash in SAR or by bank transfer, with no deposit and no booking fee. See every place in the ziyarat hub and every fare on Routes and prices.

The four hour full ziyarat adds Jannat al-Mualla, Masjid al-Jinn, a stop at Masjid Namirah, Masjid al-Khayf and the Jamarat at Mina, Masjid al-Mashar al-Haram, a stop at the Hira Cultural District, and optional Masjid Aisha for a second Umrah, with longer stops. Jabal Thawr is in both tiers, seen from the road.

Nearby: Jabal al-Nour, Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah.