The early Arabs developed ways and methods to guide travelers and show them the routes, springs, and wells in the desert stretching across the horizon. Quite often, a drifting traveler who missed the trail would be in peril and even perish. Therefore, travelers amazingly used mountains, valleys, and natural landmarks as signs on the route. In barren unknown areas where no such natural signs were available, they used to erect stones in special ways so that travelers could follow them to reach their destinations.

Such stones are called Suwa, which means milestones in English. They are stones partly sunken in the ground as signposts that travelers could follow to keep on track in the desert.