Jordan has Petra, Croatia has Dubrovnik, and Japan has Kyoto. In its fledging tourism industry, Saudi Arabia has Al-Ula (sometimes spelt AlUla, which is the spelling I prefer because that makes it a perfect palindrome), which is the gateway to Mada'in Saleh, also known as Hegra. A series of more than 100 temples carved out of sandstone that are as mystical as they are breathtaking. After a few days in Ha'il, I arrived in Al-Ula last night. It was one of those rare places where I couldn't find a CouchSurfing host, and I don't have camping gear, so I had to book a hotel. Hitchhiking all the way across the desert hasn't been too difficult as I made it here easily yesterday. After putting my bags away I power walked toward Elephant Rock so that I didn't get there in the dark.
A lovely atmosphere it is at night, and it's the first place in Saudi Arabia where I've really bumped into other travellers. Unlike Angola, Saudi Arabia isn't exactly new to the tourist circuit. Before tourist visas were issued, there were millions of hajj and umrah pilgrims and many people working in Saudi Arabia who did road trips and the like.
It's not possible to visit Madain Saleh on your own, so the only option is to take a tour. It helped because I did so much walking earlier in the day. Despite being, perhaps, the Kingdom's most visited town, there is surprisingly little infrastructure here. There are no hostels, no places to change money, and very few places to eat. Al-Ula itself is somewhat ramshackle and isn't an attractive town at all. Place a blindfold on me and I would think I was in Sedona, Arizona, or Karijini National Park as the setting is spectacular!
At 3 PM, the bus would whisk me to these magnificent temples. With the exception of a Scottish/Portuguese couple who live in Bahrain, everyone else on the bus was from Indonesia. Dating from the Nabataean Kingdom of 1st century AD, the site was part of its second largest city. Petra was the capital. The Nabataeans were one of several Bedouin tribes that roamed the Arabian Desert in search of water, but their origin remains unknown. In 2008, these temples became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Due to the dry climate and lack of resettlement after being abandoned, the temples are in an excellent state of preservation. It is only possible to enter one temple!
The largest and most spectacular is the Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza
What a sight to behold! Sometimes called Qasr al-Farid, or "Lonely Castle," it was never finished as there are distinct chisel marks on the lower section of the tomb. Other tombs clearly show that the Nabataeans built from the top down. The uncarved rock formations are equally impressive, as it looks like this rock is kissing his lady on the cheek.
I'm thankful that I did the trip on the bus. It's only 95 SAR (about $25 US) and I enjoyed the onboard commentary about the 131 carved temples. When I think about it, it's probably best that they only offer a guided tour. If locals came on their own they'd probably bring picnics and leave plastic bottles and chicken bones everywhere. In addition, it's a lengthy walk between the various groups of temples.
In the past two years I've been to so many places from the off-the-wall to the iconic: Tuvalu, the Parthenon, Nauru, the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids, Papua New Guinea, the Berlin Wall, Kuwait, and now the majestic temples of Mada'in Saleh. I was extremely disappointed when Iran was cancelled but the silver lining is that made it to these temples. Majestic. Marvellous. I would explore these temples again for sure.
