ail hé ▁reported ▁that ▁many ▁authorities ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁thought ▁that ▁Al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁might ▁be ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁city ▁and ▁bishop ric ▁of ▁Maxim ian opol is ▁in ▁Arab ia , ▁whose ▁identification ▁with ▁nearby ▁Sh a qq a ▁is ▁today ▁accepted . ▁ ▁Ott oman ▁era ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁region ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 6 . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁was ▁settled ▁by ▁local ▁Bed ou in ▁tribes men ▁and ▁benef ited ▁from ▁the ▁annual ▁ha j j ▁pil gr image ▁to ▁Me cca ▁by ▁supp lying ▁pil gr im ▁car av ans ▁with ▁cam els ▁for ▁transport ation . ▁In ▁ 1 5 9 6 ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁ ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁ ▁tax ▁registers ▁as ▁S ams ak in ▁and ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁nah i ya ▁of ▁B ani ▁Mal ik ▁al - As raf ▁in ▁the ▁Q ada ▁Haw ran . ▁It ▁had ▁an ▁entirely ▁Muslim ▁population ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 5 6 ▁households ▁and ▁ 1 7 ▁b ach el ors . ▁A ▁fixed ▁tax ▁rate ▁of ▁ 4 0 % ▁was ▁paid ▁on ▁whe at , ▁bar ley , ▁summer ▁cro ps , ▁go ats ▁and / or ▁be eh ives ; ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 7 , 2 5 0 ▁ak ç e . ▁ 1 / 3 ▁of ▁the ▁re venue ▁went ▁to ▁a ▁wa q