Jeddah: In the past, pilgrimage routes were neither paved nor clearly marked, and travelers relied on the sky as a constant guide, reaching their destinations by observing the movement and positions of the stars. Throughout history, stars have served as a primary navigational tool for humankind, helping people determine direction and location on land and at sea by observing their fixed positions and apparent movements, alongside the sun and moon.
According to Saudi Press Agency, this enabled travelers to organize journeys and plan routes with greater precision in the absence of modern navigational aids. They were also used to determine planting and harvesting seasons, understand seasonal changes, and identify periods of cold and heat through their rising and setting times throughout the year.
AlUla Governorate is one of the historical stops along the routes of pilgrim caravans, where its open landscape and clear skies provided an ideal setting for navigation by the stars. This distinctive feature remains evident today, reinforcing its status as a prominent destination for stargazing and astronomical tourism, and reflecting the enduring relationship between humans and the sky across time.