The Road to Hajj in the Islamic Egypt from the Arab Conquest to the End of Ikhshidid State (21-358 AH/ 641-969 AD)

Abstract:
         Egypt unique geographic location has had a so significant impact on it that it has occupied a great place in the international trade routes. Egypt's land and sea routes have contributed to it having been a passageway for commercial and religious convoys. It also made it a point of civilizational and cultural communication between the countries of the East and the West. In this study, we will try to highlight how the Egyptian routes contributed to transporting Muslim pilgrims from Egypt, the countries of the Maghreb and the African continent to Mecca and Medina to perform the hajj and Umrah, indicating the leading role which the Egyptian market contributed to supporting and sustaining the Hijaz country in times of hardship and economic crises.
Pilgrims and traders used to travel from Egypt to Hijaz using several means and tools of transportation which were made especially for providing safety and comfort to pilgrims and they reduced the travel hardship. These means varied depending on the routes used for travelling. They used animals to travel by road and Nile ships and boats to travel by sea.
The Muslim rulers and caliphs had interest in and care about those routes. They worked on providing various services to them, such as fresh water sources, markets, rest houses, lighting means, and shipbuilding. They tried to overcome all obstacles facing travelers, such as floods and the impact of their falling on religious places during the pilgrims' performance of rituals. In addition, they repelled the continuous Arab tribes' attacks on trade and pilgrim convoys and their refusal to participate in securing roads and defending travelers.