Where is Antara Rock located?

Location of the rock of Antara bin Shaddad

Antara Rock is located near the town of Qusayba, in the Qassim region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At this rock, Antara used to meet his beloved, his cousin, “Abla.” The rock is located in the foothills of the Qo Mountains, and its current name is “Qusayba Mountains,” where Antara mentioned it in his commentary, saying:

It was as if the companies were between one place and another

A group of birds sighing for a drink

The rock site has become a large museum, and is currently considered one of the international museums. The site contains the ruins of Antara Castle, a number of archaeological villages, and towers built of stones on top of the western mountain, to monitor springs of water, palm trees, and Hajj caravans that used to travel from that area. Antara Rock symbolizes love, as Antara used to come to this rock every day in order to meet Abla away from the eyes of his tribe.

Antara bin Shaddad

He is Antara bin Shaddad bin Qarad Al-Absi, a knight of the pre-Islamic era and one of the most famous poets of the pre-Islamic era. His mother was the stepchild of an Ethiopian woman, from whom he inherited his dark skin. Antara was characterized by courage, and the Arabs did not recognize his courage because he was the son of a female slave, but after he demonstrated his chivalry and courage to them, they recognized him. Ibn Qutabiyah said in describing Antara: “Antarah was one of the toughest people of his time and the most generous with what he had at his disposal, and he differentiated between courage and recklessness.” Antara is one of the most famous Arabs in character and strength, and he is a poet of sweetness. He loved his cousin Abla with a love that reached the point of love, and the majority of his poems talk about her and her memory. He complained about his bad luck in love, and he also complained about the injustice of his people.

From Antara's poems

Antara has many poems in which he sings of his beloved Abla, including the following poetic piece:

Have the poets departed from Mtardem?

Or did you know the house after delusion?

O house of Abla, in the air, speak

And my uncle Sabah is home to Abla and Islam

So my she-camel stood in it as if it were her

So come to satisfy the need of the one who is blaming

And Abla will be in the air and our people

With sadness, the fasting person is the one who is afflicted

I saluted from the ruins of his era

Stronger and more desolate after Umm al-Haytham