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Pro
A once in a lifetime trip
Con
no residence
In a nutshell
This is the place to visit in Saudi Arabia
Jebel Khraymat: Tombs Nº87, Nº88 & Nº89
MM212 Says: Far less grand than the tombs on the opposite side, façades numbers 87, 88 and 89 were carved in the simple "Single Row of Merlons" style. Despite their small size and simple style, Nº87 and Nº89 actually come with inscriptions, the only two in this area. Below is a summary...
Jebel Ithlib: Niches of the Siq
MM212 Says: Several cult niches framed by aedicules are carved into the walls of the Siq. They are similar to those found in the Siq of Petra, but smaller in scale, and once contained statues of deities. In some cases, sculptures carved into the rock are still visible, such as the eagle...
MM212 Says: Located south of Jebel al-Ahmar, Tomb Nº111 is the only one carved in this large rock outcrop. It is elevated from the ground and was designed in a style named by archaeologists as "Proto-Hegra 1", which consists of symmetrical half-merlons above an Egyptian-style cornice...
As-Saneh Group: Tombs Nº103 - Nº106
MM212 Says: The rest of as-Saneh group of tombs, numbered 103 to 106, are simple tombs with no ornamentation. They were carved around a small rock outcrop separate from that of the tomb of Qasr al-Saneh, the elaborate façade carved on its own rock outcrop further to the west (the...
Restricted Archaeological Area
MM212 Says: There are two fenced off areas at the centre of Mada'in Saleh, restricted for archaeological excavation. The town of Hegra, where the Nabataean inhabitants lived lies in these areas, but only small sections of it have been excavated. The many finds were swiftly transported...
MM212 Says: One of numerous stops along the defunct Hijaz Railway, the Mada'in Saleh Station lies within the archaeological site. The railway was laid out in 1900 under the Ottoman Empire to link Constantinople and Damascus with Medina, thus significantly cutting pilgrims' travel time...
MM212 Says: Also known as the Siq, this natural crevice is reminiscent of that of Petra, albeit much smaller in scale and only 40 metres in length. There is no comparison, however, as here in Hegra it is not the entrance to the city, nor is it as deep and monumental. However, the...
MM212 Says: Like Petra, Hegra has its very own Qasr al-Bint (Palace of the Daughter or Maiden). Whereas in Petra it is a free-standing temple, here in it is a grand tomb façade (Nº17), which gave its name to the surrounding cluster of tombs. It is the largest finished façade in the...
Jebel al-Ahmar: Tombs Nº122 - Nº129
MM212 Says: This group of tombs is carved on the north-western and western side of Jebel al-Ahmar. They are relatively small and most are badly eroded. Tombs Nº127 and Nº128 carry Nabataean inscriptions on their façades, which are summarised below:– Nº127 is a short inscription stating...
Jebel al-Ahmar: Tombs Nº114, 115 & 116
MM212 Says: These three tombs occupy the south-eastern side of Jebel al-Ahmar (Area "C"). Nº116 is a simple burial chamber without a monumental façade. The other two come with medium-sized façades; Nº114 follows the "Double Row of Merlons" style, while Nº115 was carved in the "Half...
Jebel al-Ahmar: Tombs Nº117 & Nº118
MM212 Says: These two adjacent tombs of different sizes, Nº117 & Nº118, were carved on the eastern side of Jebel al-Ahmar. According to the inscription on the façade of Nº117, it was carved in 61 AD, i.e. the 21st year of the reign of King Malichus II. It is a small tomb, measuring...
Jebel Khraymat: Fenced Off Tomb
MM212 Says: This badly damaged façade is the only tomb in this small rock outcrop. Along with a large swathe of land around it, the tomb lies in a restricted fenced off area for archaeological exploration. It is said that this is the only tomb in Hegra where human remains have been...
MM212 Says: Located at the southern end of the archaeological site, Qasr as-Saneh gave its name to the group of seven tombs in this area. Its name means the "Smith's Palace" and it is one of the first tombs encountered upon entering Hegra. It is similar to the famous Qasr al-Farid in...
Jebel Khraymat: Tombs Nº82 - Nº86
MM212 Says: This group in Area "E" of Jebel Khraymat includes four mid-sized, well-preserved monumental façades (the fifth is an incomplete work). All are 'silent' tombs with no inscription, and three were designed the "Proto-Hegra 1" style, while one follows the "Single Row of Merlons"...
MM212 Says: An unfinished façade, Tomb Nº101 would have been the largest in the Jebel Khraymat area. Only the upper part of the façade, consisting of the two half-merlon crown and the Egyptian-style cornice, was completed. Unusually, though, the tomb's entrance and interior were carved,...
Jebel Khraymat: Tombs Nº73-Nº76
MM212 Says: The four tombs Nº73 to Nº76 come with medium-sized façades carved on an L-shaped cliff. Only Nº73 has an inscription which states that the tomb was carved for Shabbu ibn Muqim, his wife Nubaiqa, and their descendants, plus another woman, Tilm bint Mali. The inscription dates...
MM212 Says: The nearest town to the archaeological site of Mada'in Saleh is al-Ula, situated 20 minutes away. It is a town equipped with hotels, restaurants and other amenities necessary for a road traveller, but unfortunately no commercial airport. Thus, a long drive is necessary to...
Helpfulness
Although Hegra in Arabic is "al-Hijr", the archaeological site itself is known in modern times as Mada'in Saleh, i.e. "Cities of Saleh." This naturally begs the question: who is Saleh and what "cities" are these? Saleh is a pre-Islamic Koranic prophet who was sent by God to preach to his people, Thamud, a pagan tribe in western Arabia, who were famous for skilfully carving dwellings out of mountains in their town al-Hijr. Much like in Biblical stories of prophets shared by the Koran, most Thamudis rejected Saleh's calls to worship the one and only God and destruction subsequently befell them. Islamic tradition links Saleh and his tribe, Thamud, directly to the site of al-Hijr, or Hegra. However, the name "Mada'in Saleh" was coined in the 14th century (?) when an Arab traveller visited the site and wrote about it, and his reference to "cities" may have derived from the multiple clusters of tombs scattered around the site. In the 19th century, as archaeological interest in the Near East emerged, the name Mada'in Saleh began to replace al-Hijr as the official toponym. Although it is understood that the site of the Prophet Saleh's tribe was indeed here, the rock-cut tombs in Hegra were in fact carved many years later by the Nabataeans, a different Arab civilisation. Because of the shared location and rock-carving skills between the two civilisations, the misinformed are erroneously led to believe that the Nabataean tombs that have survived in Hegra are the very same dwellings mentioned in the Koran and carved by the Thamudic tribe at the time of prophet Saleh, never mind that over two millennia separate the two peoples. In fact, theologians and historians believe Saleh lived around 2100 BC, while the tombs of Hegra were carved by the Nabataeans in the 1st century AD.
Updated Mar 12, 2011
Things to bring to Mada'in Saleh
MM212 Says: A hat & sunglasses, especially from April to October.Warm clothing for the morning hours in winter as it gets quite cold at night.Comfortable walking or hiking shoes. Sunblock! A camera with a good zoom lens could be handy. Plenty of drinking water, especially in the...
MM212 Says: Before you go to Mada'in Saleh, some advance planning will be necessary. First, admission into the country itself is difficult. Tourist visas are limited to tour groups organised by officially designated tour operators who typically have a government approved itinerary and...
Madain Saleh is one of the best archelogical sites which you can find in Saudi Arabia. This place boasts a 131 nabatean tombs which was intricately carved dated back between the period of Second...
If you can only visit one place in Saudi Arabia, make it Madain Saleh, which rises up from the sands in a landscape of rare beauty. Madain Saleh is home to 131 tombs, 45 of which carry inscriptions in...
When They Carved their Tombs into Mountains...
Mada'in Salih is a must-see sightseeing in Saudi Arabia particularly and in the Middle East in general. It used to be an active town where pilgrims used to pass by and have a short stop to continue......
Mysterious, remote and undiscovered, Mada'in Saleh is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Arabian Peninsula. Its historic name is Hegra, or al-Hijr in Arabic, and it lies in the......
When we went we were with just two more familes. The guide was fantastic and all the kids American,Spanish and English had a great time and learnt loads !
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