This past Friday and Saturday we took a two-day tour to Mada’in Saleh (Al-Hijr), one of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia and described by Lonely Planet as the one must-see in the country. It was indeed fascinating and definitely worth a visit. Mada'in Saleh includes 131 stone-carved tombs of the Nabateans, the same people whose capital was the more famous Petra in Jordan. According to Lonely Planet, the tombs "combine elements of Greco-Roman architecture with Nabatean and Babylonian imagery," and "the setting of sweeping sand and remarkable rock formations is unique and unsurpassed."

“Mada'in Saleh, also called Al-Hijr or Hegra, is a pre-Islamic archaeological site located in the Al-Ula sector, within the Al Madinah Region of Saudi Arabia. A majority of the vestiges date from the Nabatean kingdom (1st century CE). The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and largest settlement after Petra, its capital. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.” (Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mada'in_Saleh

In addition to touring Mada’in Saleh, we also drove through Madinah (Medina), one of the two holiest cities in Islam, toured the old city of Al-'Ula, took a thrilling 4WD ride into the desert to see the sunrise and have breakfast, were driven up the highest peak in the area for a spectacular view, visited an ancient city to see its famous lion tombs, and had lunch at a date palm farm. All in all, it was worth foregoing sleep the night we left to catch a 5 a.m. flight to Madinah and getting up at 4: 30 a.m. the next day to go see the sunrise. A lot packed into two short days, but worth the effort to see this unique part of Saudi Arabia.