A 2000 years old city discovered in Saudi Arabia
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RIYADH - The Saudi government recently announced that Pakistanis who go to the kingdom on Umra visas will be allowed to travel in the rest of country as well. So of the 30-day visa, 15 days will be spent in Makkah and Madina and you’ll be free to travel for the remaining 15 days. One place you can visit is Mada’in Saleh, located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia.
Although the site is in the desert, you won’t need to trek for days to reach it. The nearest airport is a 40 minute-drive south in the town of Al ‘Ula. You can fly direct into Al ‘Ula from Riyadh (the flight takes one hour and 40 minutes) or drive from Madina in less than four hours, according to the Matador Network. link
Travelers who wish to visit Mada’in Saleh need to obtain permission first and hire a tour guide. According to The New York Times, all of this is easily and quickly done via your hotel reception and with a copy of your passport.
Mada’in Saleh (called Al-Hijr in Arabic) dates from the first century BC to the first century AD. The 2,000-year-old site was built by the Nabataeans, pre-Islamic Arab people from the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula famous for their skilled harness of water in the Arabian desert.
The ruins of the site consist of water wells and huge rock-hewn monuments and tombs adorned with elaborately-decorated facades and inscriptions. According to UNESCO, there are 111 tombs remaining in Mada’in Saleh, 94 of which are decorated. Visitors to the site can enter and explore the tombs and won’t have to compete for space with anyone — the place is almost entirely devoid of tourists.
Although these architectural vestiges are not as pristine and well taken care of as the ones found in Jordan, they are still extremely beautiful and well-preserved. According to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Al Qasr Al Farid is the most famous tomb in the necropolis as it has been carved out of a single, large rock and stands alone in the desert landscape.
Mada’in Saleh became Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008, but the previous difficulties in obtaining a visa, and the country’s very conservative reputation and human rights records were deterrents to tourists. However, since Saudi Arabia has been recently opening up to outsiders, more travelers may be able and willing to check out this wonderful site that is on par with Petra on every level.
