Al Madīnah al Munawwarah

The ancient city of Dadan is an active archaeological site with excavation proceeding daily. The city was founded in the late 9th century BCE encompassing a portion of the oasis. The site sits on the old incense road, the major trade route through the Arabian peninsula. Hence it was a wealthy trading city.
The 1st picture looks at the cliff around the town with ancient tombs carved into the rock. The most significant is called the Lion Tomb as it has carvings above the entry. Count from the far left. The 5th tomb is the Lion Tomb.
The next 3 pictures relate to the excavation. The 2nd picture shows some of the artifacts recovered here. The 3rd picture looks back over an unexcavated area to the active dig. The 4th picture is of the ceremonial water basin with the temple wall behind.
The 5th picture is a couple of staff members demonstrating carving techniques in the native stone.
The rest of the pictures are at Jabal Ikmah. This site is referred to as the library as it has the highest concentration of Pre-Arabic inscriptions. This canyon became the place where various cultures traveling along the trade routes left their mark, often recording offerings to the gods. There are 3 pictures of a few of the inscriptions, and 1 looking along the canyon where the inscriptions are found.Read more