Al-Hijer/ Mada'in Saleh

Al Hijr site (Mada’in Saleh), was the first ever archaeological site in Saudi Arabia to join the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Mada’in Saleh or as it’s known in the Arabian land Al-Hijr, is the second largest city of Al-Anbat empire after Al-Petra in Jorden. Al-Hijr is the area where Thamud people of prophet Saleh peace be upon him used to live in. It’s located in wadi Al-qura between Madinah and Tabuk, 22 Km from the city of Al-ula in Al- Madinah region.

Al-Hijr was inhabited by Thamod people in the third millennium BC, followed by Lehanyans in the ninth century BC, and then their state was overthrown by the Nabateans. They took Al- Hijr houses to be a grave and temple inhabited by them. According to the latest evidence found by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Authority from the inscriptions in the area of Hijr, the Nabataeans attributed to themselves the construction of the city of Hijr. However, the remaining Antiquities in and around Hijr area is Lehanyans antiquities dating back to 1700BC.

Al-Hijr was a commercial center for the Nabataeans, as it links between the north and the south. The Nabataeans were also known of their skill in hydraulic engineering. They were able to store the water sources in the region through a network of trenches, channels and wells, which were called channels, and some are still in used till this modern day. The remains of Mada’in Saleh show the magnificent engineering works of which they are famous. There are more than 131 huge tombs sculpted on rocks standing alone amid a of sand, and islands of decaying sandstone rocks that have eroded into beautiful carved shapes. The beautiful view is reflected during the sun shine, where the color of the golden plateaus and behind them you will see hurat oairdh. Hurat oairdh is multi-cratered volcanic mountain which is 600 feet above the city’s surface, from here you will be able to have a complete view of Alula city.

Here is some information about Qaser means palaces in Arabic (however, it is actually a grave) and known sites in the area:

Al-Farid palace

Al-Farid means unique in English, also, it could mean single depends on the context. However, here it means the single. It is one of the most famous tombs in Al-Hijr, and the most beautiful Nabataean tombs in general. This palace was built for Hayyan ibn Kuza. It is distinguished by a large facade that is carefully sculpted, independent of the rest of the palace. This palace is incomplete in the lower part.

the design of al-Farid palace from the top part

Al-Sana’a palace:

The first tombs, representing the main elements of the Nabataean model of tombs. Inside the tomb there are holes where the bodies are placed. There are also 20 mausoleums in good condition. These graves contain symbols borrowed from the Ahbash, Egyptians and others. There are many shapes that express their rituals.

Al-Bint palace:

At the entrance to this palace there are symbols drawn in the form of whales inside a triangle representing a tomb guard. This tomb contains two groups, one large, which contains 29 tombs; and one smaller, which contains 2 funerary chambers cut in its oriental flank.

Jabal Ithlib (ithlib mountain):

It is located in the northeast of Mada’in Saleh and carved in the rock a large open hall called the Diwan, surrounded by two pillars and some stone moldings on the three inner walls. This place is important for Nabataean since they chose them to be their religious area.

Tombs group C:

It is located in southern area, it’s a group of mountains made of two sandstone hills one large, which contains 18 tombs, and one smaller which contains only one tomb.

Jabal Al-Mahjar ( Al-Mahjar mountains):

Located northwest Qaser Al-Bint, the area contains 14 tombs.

Khraymat area:

This area is near to Hijaz railway, and it considered as the capital of Dadan and Lehanyans kingdom . It contains 53 tombs with different architectural decoration. The most famous landmark is Mahalb Alnaqah.

Around these tombs you could see mountains take different shapes, the most prominent ones are Algarammel rocks, jabal alfiel aka the elephant mountain and jabal aekmah “ al aekmah mountain”. The latest is where you can see the writing and inscriptions of pervious civilization such as Nabataean, Lehanyans and Daidans.