Page 35 - DIVA 1 2023

Culture international

However, what we saw in the morning was stunning: warm red An isolated monolith in the honey-hued of the Nabatean civilization south of Petra. It sunset, which gave wonderfully mysterious ending to our journey.
hues that appeared suspended in air and gigantic coral-shaped desert, the tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza, features well-preserved monumental tombs There are other fascinating places and rocks of ages, such as thee
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rocks that soared up to pierce the blue almost cloudless sky. Thesee is shrouded in mystery. Unfinished and with decorated facades dating from the first Rainbow Rock, Dancing Rocks, Face Rock and even Jar Rock,
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desert giants are scattered haphazardly and sculpted by the wind apparently abandoned, the largest of this century BC to the first century AD. The site shaped like a jar sculpted by nature: sadly, due to time constraints
and rain over millennia. Even after all our preparation, we were region’s grand funerary facades has become also features some 50 inscriptions of the pre- we were unable to visit those. We were lucky enough, however, tooo
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not ready for the impact of these dramatic honey-coloured rocks inin an iconic symbol for the Al Ula region. Yet, Nabataean period as well as cave drawings. have a couple of hours to wander in the Old Town of Al Ula.
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enigmatic shapes with their stillness and mystery. We stayed as long as with so many landmarks in this ancient With its 111 monumental tombs, 94 of which
as we could, taking long lazy breakfasts in the organic, sustainable metropolis, archaeologists are still piecing its are decorated, and water wells, the site is According to archaeologists, “Hegra is absolutely the jewel in the
restaurant in the middle of the faraway desert, with the turquoise perplexing past together. an outstanding example of the Nabataeans’ crown, however, one of the beautiful and unique things about Al Ula
heated pool at our feet, and the huge boulders for meditation, yoga, architectural accomplishment and hydraulic is that it is a palimpsest of human civilization for many thousands of
and reflection. Positioned at a crossroads of commerce along expertise. This latter is evidenced by the many years. There is a near-continuous spread of 7,000 years of successive
major spice and incense routes, Saudi Arabia’s artificial wells the Nabateans constructed in civilizations settling in this valley—important civilizations that are
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We followed meandering pathways at the foot of an immense rockk first UNESCO World Heritage site was once the rocky ground for irrigation: many of these just now being revealed to the world through archeology.” Onee
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formation and found many other interesting places. Eventually,, a thriving hub for Al Ula’s succession of wells are still in use today. of Arabia’s oldest cities, and home to the Nabataean city of Hegra,
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however we had to leave for our day-long journey to more mysteries, civilisations, with the earliest estimated to the ancient region of Al Ula is being rediscovered. If you visit thiss
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especially Hegra: the main purpose of our visit to Al Ula. date back 7,000 years ago. Set on a vast plain Today Hegra is open for tourists and can historic crossroads on the incense route, its pristine desert oasis and
at the foot of the Hijaz Mountains, the site be visited either by the organized bus tours monumental landscapes, you will be among the first to discoverrr
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Mirage in the desert - Before going there, we made another reached its zenith in the first century AD, in English and Arabic, or by a private old- 200,000 years of largely unexplored human history and successive
stop. This time it was a stop in the future, at the largest mirrored when it became the southernmost settlement style car tour, or even by horse-carriage. ancient civilisations. It is a place where archaeological mysteries are
building in the desert: an incredible structure called Maraya. It is an in the Nabataean Kingdom, around 300 miles It cannot be visited without government- still being uncovered today, as Al Ula is an undiscovered masterpiece..
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architectural marvel, and adds a touch of optical illusion to the Al from its capital city, Petra. Falling into steady subsidized excursions and guides, all of We managed to explore a part, and will definitely return. We
Ula experience. The building, despite its size, all but vanishes into decline after it was annexed by the Roman which are well organized and easy to arrange. encourage you to go there and to make your own discoveries.

the landscape, reflecting the surroundings, changing with the light, empire, its secrets have been buried in the
and being sometimes undetectable, like a chameleon in the sand. sand for the past 2,000 years. We still managed to see more: the city of Our short visit to this fairytale kingdom came to an end, and we
The impression of this building added to the mystical feeling we got Over this time, Hegra was only occasionally Dadan, the ancient Kingdom of the Lihyanite took the late evening flight via Riyadh to return home, knowing for
in Habitas. The mixture of mirage reality and unreality, integrated mentioned by pilgrims on their way to Mecca and Dadanite civilizations, dating back next time what to see and discover. We want to see Riyadh, and see
into the dramatic rocky landscape, seemed to make the ravines an who used it as a refreshment station for supplies between the late nineth and early eighth Jeddah again, and visit the city of future Neom. A couple of years
optical illusion. It was incredible to see how this futuristic complex and water along the Hajj route. While Jordan’s century BC (Kingdom of Dadan) and 5th–2nd ago we wrote in our magazine about this fascinating project – The
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marries with thousands years of natural formation. Its dream-likee rock-hewn wonder became an historical century BC (Kingdom of Lihyan). Sadly, Jaball Line in Neom - which is being built now. I think it will be even
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existence has a very real purpose, however: it is also a concert hall showpiece and world-renowned wonder after Ikhmah, an open library of inscriptions, rock much more impressive that what we saw, with 170 km mirrored
with an annual roster of events, including the Al Ula winter and the lost city of Petra was rediscovered in the art and petroglyphs set in a stunning desert horizontal skyscrapers, where nature and sustainability will marry
summer festivals. early 19th century, even today Hegra still canyon, could only be approached and seen with the artificial intelligence of the future.
remains largely unknown. from a distance.
Hegra – a journey through time. Hegra is an almost-untouched We were delighted, however, to visit the Al It is certain that Saudi Arabia is the destination of the future while
ancient city, an untold story awaiting discovery. Left undisturbedd Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ula Harrat viewpoint, which gives an amazing carefully preserving the past. It is a country ready to reveal to tourists
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for 2,000 years, Hegra is emerging from the fog of history to take its ͐āli͐). The Hegra Archaeological Site, formerly view over the Al Ula and canyons, and we were some of its cultural and historical treasures and secrets, and many
rightful place as one of the wonders of the world. . known as Hegra, is the largest conserved site fortunate to visit the Elephant Rock at the more discoveries await those who visit this fascinating country.
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