Al Ula, Madain al Saleh, Hegra

After a few long driving days we finally reached Al Ula, the base camp for the sights in Hegra.
Saudi never ceases to amaze me. The diversity of the landscape is totally unexpected and the landscape surrounding this town is outstanding. Crops of big round mountains and out of the earth rock formations. This looks really promising.
After enquiring about the archaeological sites it was confirmed that the next day will be the last until the site reopens in October and that we only can view the tombs with an organised tour.
Still, we could not believe this so we decided to take a trip through the desert and see if we can get to the sites without masses of people surrounding us. We drove for a few hours and not really getting far not even due to very difficult sandy terrain but again and again hit the fence surrounding the area. We had still fun driving through the desert in my car together though!
So next morning we left the dogs behind and jumped on a tour bus.
“Hegra it is the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan. It features well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The site also features some 50 inscriptions of the pre-Nabataean period and some cave drawings. Hegra bears a unique testimony to Nabataean civilization. With its 111 monumental tombs, 94 of which are decorated, and water wells, the site is an outstanding example of the Nabataeans’ architectural accomplishment and hydraulic expertise.” (Text copied from UNESCO website)
And it was worth the while. These tombs, carved into sandstone, well preserved were absolutely fascinating.
But what took my fancy just as much was the Al Mayara Concert Hall outside of Al Ula, a huge mirrored cube set in the middle of the desert, reflecting its surrounds, ever changing with the sun moving in the sky.
I will let the pictures do the talking.Read more