The archaeology of the Syrian and Iraqi Hajj routes

Abstract This paper gives a summary of recent archaeological survey‐work carried out on the Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) routes of Arabia. The main types of installations and features found on the routes are briefly discussed; these are water systems, khans, mosques, forts, palaces, cemeteries, settlements, roads and road markings. In the future, surveys on a wider scale, both chronologically and spatially, will enable more sophisticated analysis to take place.