Archaeologists have demanded security for historical sites by posting security personnel. Merely erecting fences around the sites is not enough, they said.

They say that entry to these places should be organized and a guide should be available to explain its importance and history.

According to them, these places have an economic value that should be fully utilized.

Local media monitored some historical places that included Arwa and Quba Palace, west of Madinah. The palace, which was owned by Arwa bin Al-Zubair, is located 3 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It includes a garden, a water well and a house. It is surrounded by a wall with a beautiful gate made of stone and covered with plaster.

Quba Castle is situated 1,500 meters to the north of Quba Mosque. It is a square shaped building built by military commander Fakhri Pasha alongside a number of castles built around the city to secure them against the Hashemites and their allies, during the period between 1916 and 1919. The castle has three stone floors, with one door and small openings for watchmen and archers.

Dr. Tandeeb Al-Fayidi, historian, said that tampering with these locations is a result of lack of security. These locations used to be affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and they used to have security personnel.

Al-Fayidi demanded strict security for these places. He stressed the importance of opening locations related to the Prophet’s life and ancient archaeological and historical locations to the public.

Ayesha Khaja, researcher and expert on the Prophet’s life, said, “Signboards about these locations should be in various languages. Municipalities should clean and allow organized entry into these places to get an understanding about the importance of these places and benefit from them economically,” she said.