Yanbuʿ
A Red Sea port of the Hijaz whose name means 'it springs forth' — for the water that made it.
- Type
- Port town
- Name means
- 'It springs forth' (root n-b-ʿ)
- Region
- Hijaz
- Served as
- The port of Medina
The name
Yanbuʿ is a verb: 'it springs forth', from n-b-ʿ (ن-ب-ع), the root of *yanbūʿ*, 'a spring'. The town is named for its water — the springs behind the coast that made a port possible on an otherwise dry shore.
Position
On the Red Sea in the Ḥijāz, it served as the port of Medina, and pilgrims and goods landing there travelled inland to the city.
In genealogy
The sources record the surrounding country as Juhaynah territory, and Yanbuʿ al-Nakhl inland is named among their settlements.
Frequently asked questions
What does Yanbuʿ mean?
'It springs forth', from the root n-b-ʿ — the same root as yanbūʿ, 'a spring'. The town is named for the water that made it possible.
Sources
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — مادة: ينبع
- ابن منظور، لسان العرب، 711هـ — مادة: نبع
Last reviewed: 2026-07-27