Tabuk ( ), also spelled Tabouk, is the capital city of the Tabuk Region in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 667,000 (as of 2021). It is close to the Jordanian–Saudi Arabia border, and houses the largest air force base in Saudi Arabia. History Ptolemy mentioned a place by the name 'Tabawa', at the northwestern corner of Arabia. This name may be a reference to 'Tabuka' or 'Tabuk'. If this is true, the town may be as old as Ptolemy's time. Pre-Islamic Arab poets, such as Antra and Nabiqa, mentioned its mountain 'Hasmi' in their poems. Tabouk became famous for the Expedition to Tabuk in 630 CE, during the period of prophet Muhammad. Since then, it remained a gateway of North Arabia. It was also visited by a number of European travelers such as Doughty in 1877 and Huber in 1884. Tabuk was captured by the Arab forces in 1918, 3 weeks after the British capture of Damascus. Tabuk became a centre of military activity during the 1991 Gulf War as the city faced threats from Iraqi scuds and air attacks. Archaeological or historical sites in the area The region is rich in antiquities and archaeological sites such as petroglyphs, inscriptions, forts, palaces, walls, Syrian-Egyptian pilgrimage route, and the remains of the Hejaz Railway line, the main station of which is located in Tabuk. Rock art and inscriptions' site in Wadi Dam Hundreds of localities with Rock art and inscriptions dating to different chronological periods and ranging from Paleolithic to the Islamic period were recorded at Wadi Dam and the region west of Tabuk. Study of the art revealed rich stylistic variability and both human and animal figures were represented in it. Tens of sites in the area with Thamudic, Greek and Nabataean inscriptions have been found. Tabuk Castle It is also known as the castle of Aṣ-ḥāb al-Aykah (, "Companions of the Wood"), who are mentioned in the Quran. The castle dates back to about 3500 BCE and has been restored many times; the last was in 1062 AH (1652 CE). Several forts and stations were built along the Syrian pilgrimage route, from the Jordanian border to Al-Medinah to welcome the pilgrims. The fort consists of two floors built around an open courtyard with a mosque, a well, and a stairway leading to the watch towers used by the guards. Tabuk castle is considered an archaeological landmark