Ta'if

A high-altitude city in western Saudi Arabia, Ta'if sits in the mountains east of Mecca — historically a summer retreat for residents of the Hijaz region thanks to its cooler elevation. Surrounded by mountains on all sides and straddling Wadi Waj, it has long served as a crossroads connecting the Hijaz and Najd regions, and is considered one of the ancient centres of Arabic poetry and literature in the pre-Islamic era.

• Population688,693
• Nearest water2.4 km
• Nearest mountain7.9 km