al-Ula (), officially AlUla, is an ancient Arabian oasis city and

governorate A governorate or governate is an administrative division headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is typically used to calque divisions ...

located in Medina Province,

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, northwest of the city of

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. Situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilizations, al-Ula was a market city on the historic Incense trade route that linked

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and the

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to the Levant and

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. From an archaeological perspective, the immediate vicinity contains a unique concentration of precious artifacts, including well-preserved ancient stone inscriptions that illustrate the development of the Arabic language, and a concentration of rock dwellings and tombs that date from the Nabatean and Dedanite periods that coincided with Greco-Roman influence during

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

. Saudi Arabia's first

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site,

Hegra HEGRA, which stands for High-Energy-Gamma-Ray Astronomy, was an atmospheric Cherenkov effect, Cherenkov telescope for Gamma-ray astronomy. With its various types of detectors, HEGRA took data between 1987 and 2002, at which point it was dismantl ...

(also known as al-Hijr, or Mada'in Ṣalih), is located north of the city, in al-Ula governorate. Built more than 2,000 years ago by the

Nabataeans The Nabataeans or Nabateans (; Nabataean Aramaic: , , vocalized as ) were an ancient Arabs, Arab people who inhabited northern Arabian Peninsula, Arabia and the southern Levant. Their settlements—most prominently the assumed capital city o ...

, Hegra is often compared with its sister city of Petra, in Jordan. Meanwhile, the ancient walled oasis city of al-Ula, locally known as al-Dirah, situated near the oasis's palm grove that allowed for its settlement, contains a dense cluster of mudbrick and stone houses. al-Ula was also the capital of the ancient Lihyanites (Dedanites). The Jabal Ikmah epigraphs and petroglyphs are located in the mountains around AlUla. In 2023, they have been inscribed on the

Memory of the World International Register. Dating back to the second half of the first millennium BCE, they played a significant role in the evolution of Old Arabic languages and dialects. Carved in sandstone, these nearly 300 inscriptions are written in the pre- Nabataean Arabic languages

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

, Dadanitic, Thamudic, and Minaic. Today, the city of al-Ula is within the Governorate of al-Ula, one of seven constituent counties of Medina province. The city is located southwest of Tayma and north of

. The city (municipality) covers , and has a population of 60,103 . In addition to the ancient old town al-Dīrah, a more recent historical and adjacent settlement, al-Judaydah, displaying the settlement patterns of Arabic-Islamic urbanism, remains occupied and is currently experiencing a redesign. Since the 1980s, the oasis of al-Ula has experienced significant agricultural and urban growth. Since then, the settled Bedouins have been added to the population of Sedentary people and, as in the rest of the kingdom, a large population of immigrant workers. The area is also known for its striking landscape of rocks, canyons, and wadis, and the contrast between these dry surroundings and the lush, palm-filled oases near the city's centre. The oasis of al-Ula was once a key stop on the Hejaz Railway, linking

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

to Medina.

History

The

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentwalled city of al-Ula was founded as an

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentIncense trade route, the network of routes that facilitated the trading of spices, silk and other luxury items through the Kingdom of Aksum, Arabia,

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, and India. The oasis of al-Ula stands on the site of the Biblical city of Dedan but was founded with the ancient North Arabian kingdom of Lihyan, which ruled from the 5th to 2nd century BCE. The older history of the oasis has been divided into several phases. The Dedanite kingdom spans the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. Dedan is mentioned in the Harran Stela. In these it is told how

Nabonidus Nabonidus (Babylonian cuneiform: ''Nabû-naʾid'', meaning "May Nabu be exalted" or "Nabu is praised") was the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from 556 BC to the fall of Babylon to the Achaemenian Empire under Cyrus the Great in 53 ...

, last ruler of the

Neo-Babylonian Empire The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to ancient Mesopotamia. Beginning with the coronation of Nabopolassar as the King of Babylon in 626 BC a ...

, made a military campaign to northern Arabia in 552 BCE or somewhat later, conquering Tayma, Dedan, and Yathrib (now

). It is thought that around the turn of the 5th century BCE, the kingdom became hereditary. The next four hundred years, until around 100 BCE, was the period of Lihyanite kingdom. The

were also the lords of the region at least until 106 CE, when the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

conquered and annexed it in their Arabia Petraea province. Ottoman fort at Hegra

Al-Mabiyat, some away near Mughayrah became the next commercial centre of the region. It thrived from around 650 CE until it declined at some time before 1230. In the 13th century, the old city of al-Ula, locally known as al-Dīrah, was built, and many stones of the old Dedanite and Lihyanite ruins were reused. The oasis of al-Ula now became the major settlement of the region again until modern times. Between 1901 and 1908 the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

built the Hejaz railway in order to link

. The railway had main stations in both Madā'in Ṣaliḥ (Hegra) and al-Ula, where a line was built through the western part of al-Khuraybah, some to the north of the old medieval town, which is believed to be the site of the old Dedanite and Lihyanite town that is still standing there despite being in bad shape. In the 20th century, the new town centre was established beside the

old town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

, and eventually, the people left the old buildings. The last family is said to have gone in 1983, while the last service in the old mosque was held in 1985. Both the ruins of the medieval town al-Dīrah and the site of the Liyhanite settlement now lie within the limits of the modern town. The most detailed study of the area was made by the French priests Antonin Jaussen and Raphaël Savignac, who visited the area three times, in 1907, 1908 and 1910. They studied the remains at Hegra and Dedan and collected a large number of Lihyanite, Minaean, Thamudic, and Nabataean inscriptions. Accordingly, it was their work that came to constitute the basis for all further study and research in the area's history. The first European traveller of modern times to describe the town was Charles Doughty in 1876. was in al-Ula in 1881–1882. He returned in 1883 accompanied by Julius Euting. In 1968 a team of archaeologists from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

investigated 15 inscriptions. The vertical

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

cliffs surrounding the valley provide ample surfaces for rock art, making the governorate one of the richer petroglyph regions in the Kingdom. Ar-Ruzeiqiah is a mountain in the southern part of the governorate, with a large petroglyph panel displaying hundreds of images, including depictions of hunting scenes with humans and a variety of animals. Ibex are the most common species but camels, horses and other species can also be found. Mount Ikma also has a large façade with scenes, strange symbols, and inscriptions.

Timeline

Here is the sequence of historical events and the ancient evidence found in the al-Ula governorate:

Administration

There are four major municipalities in the Governorate of al-Ula: al-Ula, the capital lying to the southwest (population 5,426); Mughayrāʾ () to the southeast (population 8,952); Abu Raku, to the north (population 2,678); and al-Ḥijr to the northeast (population 1,707).

Heritage Village

al-Ula Heritage Village, also known as Al-Dīrah, is the traditional Arabian village to which people of the oasis moved some eight centuries ago and inhabited until the 20th century. It was built on a higher part of the valley in order to be clear of the floods that can occur during the rainy season. At its maximum expansion the town contained more than 1000 houses, which were built adjacent to one another, thereby forming a wall around the town to defend the population. On the west of the town, at the bottom of the cliff, is the old souq, which has been renovated.

Royal Commission for al-Ula

The importance of al-Ula as an archaeological and historic site led to the establishment of The Royal Commission for al-Ula (RCU) in July 2017, the aim of which is to develop and promote al-Ula as an international tourism destination. Moreover, the commission develops the plans for heritage conservation and preservation. The Royal commission for al-Ula, along with al-Ula Development Company, have taken various development projects in the region, including the five districts planned for al-Ula by 2030. The five districts include: al-Ula old town, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, Nabataeane Horizen, and Hegra Historical City. These five districts are part of a larger development plan for al-Ula that further aims to transform the city into a world-class tourist destination while also preserving its cultural and historical heritage.

Development plan

To promote tourism and gain more attraction, the Royal Commission for al-Ula is training 200 young Saudis on an ambitious project where tourists will explore the area's cultural treasures. Recruited from the al-Ula region, the 200 young people (all high-school age or in their first year as university students, and split equally between boys and girls) are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia being trained in hospitality, learning new languages, studying farming and water technology, and researching the cultural, social and natural history of their home region. In January 2023, the Public Investment Fund launched Al-Ula Development Company, a

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

and real estate developer which aims to turn al-Ula into a global tourist destination.

al-Ula International Airport

The Airport was a crucial part of the development strategy of the Royal Commission for al-Ula, which envisioned making it a global destination for culture and tourism. In March 2021, the airport was approved to receive international flights, along with an increased capacity of receiving 15 commercial flights at a time. The capacity was increased from 100,000 to 400,000 passengers per year.

Tourism

The Saudi Arabian government is collaborating with experts from around the world on the al-Ula development. In April 2018 it signed a 10-year deal with France that included provisions for hotels, transport infrastructure and a world-class culture and art museum. Since 2021, the Royal Commission of al-Ula has been running SME accelerator in collaboration with AstroLabs to ensure growth of the local tourism ecosystem. With this program, the region has set out on an ambitious mission to welcome 2 million tourists and contribute SAR 120Bn to the national GDP by 2030. A major integrated archaeological survey of al-Ula valley and beyond was launched by the commission, charged with protecting and regenerating the north-western region. While a conservation and development plan was established, some of the sites including the World Heritage Site of Madā'in Ṣaliḥ were closed to the public, but have been open since 2020 for visitors. With the easing of visa process for international travelers, al-Ula attracts more tourists from abroad. Its most popular sites are: al-Ula Old town, Oasis Heritage Trail, Hegra UNESCO Heritage Site, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, Jabal AlFil (Elephant Rock), Harrarat Viewpoint or Maraya. Travelers from around the world can also enjoy numerous of activities such as stargazing, desert dune bashing, desert campaign, hiking, biking, rock climbing, via ferrata and others.

Accommodation in al-Ula

As the tourism infrastructure, aiming at tourism ''de luxe'', is still being developed in al-Ula, finding affordable accommodation can be a challenge during high season. Tourists have a variety of options ranging from camping sites, holiday homes (apartments or chalets) to luxury resorts. , al-Ula is home to 10 luxury resorts and accommodations available for visitors of the old city.

"Winter at Tantora" festival

Winter at Tantora was a traditional celebration to mark the start of the 40-day winter growing season. The name of the festival, 'Tantora', is inspired by a sundial located in the Old Town of al-Ula, which has been in use by the locals as a marker for the changing of the seasons. On 20 December 2018, the first " Winter at Tantora" started with a series of different themed weekend events including music, arts, entertainment, and cultural events. The concerts were performed in Maraya Concert Hall, which was newly constructed for this purpose, and whose external walls are covered with mirrors, being the Arabic word for 'mirrors'. A second edition of Winter at Tantora Festival was held on 19 December 2019, and included performances by Omar Khairat, EBI "Ebrahim hamedi", Andrea Bocelli, Yanni,

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...

, and

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...

. On 26 December 2019, Maraya Concert Hall set a Guinness World Record for the largest mirrored building in the world, in which it was covered by of mirrored façade.

Azimuth Festival

As part of the "Winter at Tantora" festival, Saudi Arabia hosted a three-day festival of music, art and food. Held between 5–7 March 2020, the Azimuth Festival was an event that brought the east and west together at al-Ula. It marked performances from artists like the Chainsmokers,

Jean-Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...

, Tinie Tempah and others. The event took place at the beginning of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and so received only little publicity.

Persian Night in Saudi Arabia's al-Ula

From 6 to 7 March 2020, a large concert of Iranian singers was held at the winter celebration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of al-Ula. Ebi, Leila Forouhar, Shahram Shabpareh, Shadmehr Aghili, Andy (Andranik Madadian), Arash and Sasy were present at the concert.

al-Ula Vision

On 11 February 2019, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the al-Ula vision which features a resort and nature reserve called Sharaan. The vision also includes the establishment of the Global Fund for the protection and revitalization of the Arabian leopard. al-Ula provides an opportunity for numerous international companies to benefit from the ambitious plans. Some notable companies are already working on and benefiting from the al-Ula project: AECOM, JAL International, Nesma & Partners, Alstom, KUN Investment Holding and others.

Climate

Gallery

File:Hegra Inscription Marcus Aurelius.jpg, Hegra Roman inscription dedicated to Emperor

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

File:Statues du sanctuaire de Dadan (Institut du monde arabe, Paris).jpg, Two colossal statues from the sanctuary of Dadān/al-Khuraybah, possibly figurative representations of Lihyanite kings File:Petroglyphs with human figures, ostriches and dogs, al-Ula, western Saudi Arabia (3).jpg, Petroglyphs with human figures, ostriches and dogs File:Banyan Tree AlUla pool.jpg, Rock pool at Banyan Tree AlUla

References

External links

Royal Commission for AlUla website
{{DEFAULTSORT:AlUla Archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia History of Hejaz Populated places in Medina Province (Saudi Arabia) Oases of Saudi Arabia Qatar diplomatic crisis