People all over the world are getting excited about the wonderful sights of Hegra, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia. Don’t miss exploring this desert landscape and visiting more than 110 exceptionally well-preserved tombs while learning about the ancient Al Ula culture and the people. The tombs were carved from the formation of rocks! Some of these beautiful burial chambers still have inscriptions above them that list the people who were interred there. You'll come across tombs for doctors, soldiers, local officials, and other people as you explore the site.
Although there is evidence of human presence at the site that predates the first millennium BCE, the Nabataean city was located there from the end of the first millennium BCE until the beginning of the first millennium CE. From the late second century BCE to the second century CE, the city was at its peak.
The presence of wells and magnificent stone-lined water channels, in addition to the tombs, lay the Nabataean elite, which serves as great examples of civilization's excellent craftsmanship. You can experience the ancient beauty of the gates, walls, and towers that are formed in the defensive structure with the presence of Roman influence, which tightened the breath of the city.
What You Can't-Miss in Hegra!
Hegra sheds light on the Nabataean culture's historical relevance as well as its magnificent tombs and ingenuity. The name Jabal Al Ahmar, which alludes to the red color of the rock, is one of Hegra's outcrops. There are 18 tombs in this area, some of which have lately undergone excavation.
Inscriptions speak on ancient civilizations' practices and beliefs as well as the Arabic language's linguistic roots. There are numerous beryls and stylized stone carvings you must see! The gods were portrayed and represented by these stone blocks, and some of them carved mouths, noses, and eyes that are stylized. You can find the ruins of 130+ wells near Hegra, which is proof that the Nabataeans simply adapted to the arid climate of Al Ula. The wells might function as cisterns since they could be refilled by rainfall and groundwater. To preserve the intricate details of the tomb facades, excavations have revealed that ceramic pipes and stone-lined water channels were employed to transport water from courtyards into the streets.
In 106 CE, the Roman Empire annexed the Nabataean kingdom. The town was surrounded by a 3-kilometer-long wall with three to five gates that was guarded by numerous towers and buttresses, according to rampart traces that were first found in the early 20th century. Due to Hegra's location along the incense and trade routes, both the Nabataeans and the Romans offered it strong military protection.
