Al Ula

There are some people that will say if you can only visit one place in Saudi Arabia, then you must make it Madain Saleh. Also known as Al Hijr, Madain Saleh is a series sandstone outcrops of various sizes and heights surrounded by a ring of sand mountains. Located in the Al-Ula sector, within the Al Madinah Region this pre-Islamic archaeological site was mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, as the home of the Thamud people. 
A crossroads of ancient civilisations, pilgrims, explorers, trade caravans and armies Madain Saleh is a remarkable expression of the elaborate stone-carved tombs of the Nabataeans. The tombs might be less spectacular than the better-known and more visited Nabataean city in Petra, but the setting of sweeping sand and remarkable rock formations is truly unique and unsurpassed.

Mount Athlib stands dramatically on the horizon in the northeast of Mada’en Saleh.  It is surrounded by a vast space. As in the city of Petra in Jordan this region has, a narrow corridor called (siq) carved into a rock as a large open lounge called Diwan, which is surrounded, by columns and terraces supported on three interior stone walls.

Al Fareed Palace is very popular among the Nabataean tombs in Al Hijr and is considered the most beautiful tomb of them all. It features a very large Northern interface. It is named Fareed Palace (Arabic for unique) because it is the only tomb with a separate stone mass and a much larger façade than all other tombs in the Mada’en Saleh. The attention to detail and beauty of the carvings in the interface is remarkable.

The reason for so many temples on this site is because temples were designed and built for different occasions. Whilst some may have been used on a more frequent basis, other temples were reserved for special occasions or specific events.  Many of these temples which differ in size were built around Mount Athlib and located in the northeastern part of Al Hijr.  Most famous of them is the Diwan, which is a carved hall in stone.  Some of the niches carved in mount Athlib have two adjacent enclaves, and others have three.

The remains of the old residential area were also discovered in the Nabataean Mada’en Saleh. This area dates back to distinct historical period of human settlement and population growth in the region. It is located in the plain area called Kharibat Al Hijr between Qasr Al Bint Tomb and Al-Hijaz Railway Station.

Al-Ula is the gateway to Madain Saleh and is a small town lying in the heart of exceptionally beautiful country, with palm groves running down the centre of the valley. Forbidding red sandstone cliffs rise up on two sides and are reminiscent of the rock formation seen in the Grand Canyon in the Arizona desert. As well as extraordinary Nabataean tombs in the vicinity, there are the delightful ruins of Old Al-Ula – one of the best examples of traditional architecture in modern Saudi.