Mada’in Saleh is one of the most remarkable
and exciting archeological sites in the world. Most of us know about Petra in
Jordan but very few peoples have even heard of Mada’in Saleh, the second
largest settlement of Nabataean people after Petra. Mada’in Saleh (cities of
Saleh) is a pre-Islamic archaeological site located in the Al-Ula Region of
Saudi Arabia sector about 400km north-west of Madinah and 500 km south-east of
Petra, Jordan. This is the place, where nomadic tribe of Thamud lived, which
were famous for its idol worshipping, oppression and tyranny became prevalent. Mada’in
Saleh is also called “Al-Hijr” or “Hegra”, this was the area, where Prophet Hazrat
Saleh A.S. was being sent by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to guide them
but they didn’t accepted his teachings and were destroyed by an earthquake.
Well, the Prophet Hazrat Saleh
A.S, to whom the site's name of Mada'in Saleh is attributed, called the
Thamudis to repent. But the Thamudis disregarded the warning and instead
commanded Prophet Hazrat Saleh A.S to summon a pregnant she-camel from the back
of a mountain. And so, a pregnant she-camel was sent to the people from the
back of the mountain by Allah Talah, as proof of Saleh's divine mission.
Though, only a minority of peoples heeded his words. While the others non-believers
killed the sacred camel instead of caring for it as they were told, and its
calf ran back to the mountain where it had come from, screaming. The Thamudis
were given three days before their punishment was to take place, since they
disbelieved and did not heed the warning. The Prophet Hazrat Saleh A.S. and the
believers left the city, but the Thamudis were punished by Allah Talah when their
souls leaving their lifeless bodies in the midst of an earthquake and lightning
blasts.
The Muslims Holy Book Qur’an
says; Thamud carved out homes in the mountains were punished by Allah Talah for
their practice of idol worship, being struck by massive earthquake and
lightning blasts. So the earthquakes seized them and they lay dead, prostrate
in their homes. Then Hazrat Saleh A.S turned from them, and said: "O my
people! I have indeed conveyed to you the Message of my God, and have given you
correct guidance & path but you like not good advisers.
In 2008, Mada’in Saleh has become
Saudi Arabia First UNESCO World Heritage site, selected for its well-preserved
remains from late antiquity, particularly the 131 rock-cut monumental tombs,
with their elaborately ornamented façades, of the Nabatean kingdom. The site
setting on the plain foot of a basalt plateau, notable for its desert
landscape, marked by sandstone outcrops of various sizes and heights.
The ruins of the town of Hegra
are, still for the most part unexcavated, were made of unimpressive sun-dried
mudbrick. The Qasr al Bint, “Palace of the Daughter or Maiden,” is the largest
tomb façade at Hegra, with a height of 16 m. It lends its name to a group of
adjacent tombs. The most photogenic and
most iconic symbol of Mada’in Saleh is Qasr al-Farid, a single tomb carved into
a small dome that stands alone in the open. Moreover The Jebel Ithlib is a
monumental outcrop topped with a complex of spires in the northeastern part of
the site. The Jebel Ithlib sanctuary a canal channeled water into a cistern.
Its enormous cliff faces have small sacred niches and altars carved into their
otherwise unhewn surfaces.
Mada’in Saleh is gleaned from the
inscriptions displayed on the site, which comprises of more than 100 decorated
tombs and 1000 non-monumental graves, bearing both inscriptions and cave
drawings. Though the site is alike to Jordan’s Petra, the Nabataean city of
Mada’in Saleh surpasses its better known neighbor. The multi-ethnic symbols and
datable graves of the site, as well the exclusive sandstone cave structures, facilitate
a better understanding of the Nabataean tribe and Mada’in Saleh, an ancient
city that once served as the most vital stop on the caravan route between
Southern Arabia and the Jordan Valley.
The recent archaeological
investigation is slowly disclosing the hidden treasures, and the most acclaimed
and iconic parts of the site today are “Qasr al Bint” and “Qasr Al-Fareed”.
While, the former is the Palace of the Daughter, which, with its 16m height is
the largest tomb at Mada’in Saleh, the latter stands independently as a huge
tomb construction carved into the cliff. Though the tomb was never finished,
the following dedication is visible, carved into the stone: ‘To Hayyan, the Son
of Kuza and his descendants’. Moreover the Mada’in Saleh ruins are surrounded
by hills yet lie on a deserted, volcanic plateau which, thanks to sustainable
water sources and fertile soil, has always attracted settlers.
The enigmatic Nabataeans were
originally a nomadic tribe, but their settlements began to flourish. As well as their agricultural activities,
they developed political systems, arts, engineering, stonemasonry, and
demonstrated astonishing hydraulic expertise, including the construction of wells,
cisterns, and aqueducts. These innovations stored water for prolonged periods
of drought, and enabled them to prosper. They expanded their trading routes,
creating more than 2,000 sites in total in the areas that today are Jordan,
Syria and Saudi Arabia. Archaeologists still try to unravel the history of the
Nabataeans, which in large remains unknown. In Mada’in Saleh, you can see
several large boulders rising out of the flat desert, and most of the
structures seen were used as tombs, all of them cut into the surrounding
sandstone rocks.
The area has multiple quarries
that the Nabataean masons are said to have used to cut and carve stone
blocks. However, no buildings utilizing
stone blocks have ever been found so it is unidentified what exactly the quarries
were used for. The mystery may lie below the sand of the desert, with monuments
still waiting to be explored. Therefore, the site has gotten a reputation as a
cursed place an image which the national government is attempting to overcome
as it seeks to develop Mada'in Saleh for its tourism potential.
