Hegra (Mada’in Salih/Al-Hijr) is an Archaeological Site and the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. It is located in the area of Al-‘Ula within the Medina Province in the Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans dating back to 1st Century AD.
UNESCO proclaimed the Mada’in Salih in 2008 as a site of patrimony and became the first World Heritage Site of Saudi Arabia. The 131 monumental rock-cut tombs and the well-preserved remains from the late antiquity made to be chosen as the World Heritage Site. The site of Hegra is situated 20km north of the town of Al-‘Ula. It is about 400km north-west of Medina and 500km south-east of Petra, Jordan.
As per the Islamic Tradition, the site of Al-Hijr was settled by the Thamund tribe, who used to do Idol Worship. The site also has about 50 inscriptions of the pre-Nabataen period and few Cave Drawings.
Read more about Hegra here
