HEGRA, AN ANCIENT CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA UNTOUCHED FOR MILLENNIA, MAKES ITS PUBLIC DEBUT

[Judi Lynn]

The archaeological site, now open to tourists, offers clues about the mysterious empire that built it and its more famous sister city of Petra in Jordan

BY LAUREN KEITH
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM | Nov. 23, 2020, 3:42 p.m.

In the scrub-speckled desert north of AlUla in Saudi Arabia, rocky outcrops and giant boulders the size of buildings, beautifully carved and with classical-style pediments and columns, poke out of the sands like divinely scattered seeds. As the sun sets, the dusty colors flare, revealing pockmarks and stains caused by rain, which has shaped these stones for millennia.

Once a thriving international trade hub, the archeological site of Hegra (also known as Mada'in Saleh) has been left practically undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. But now for the first time, Saudi Arabia has opened the site to tourists. Astute visitors will notice that the rock-cut constructions at Hegra look similar to its more famous sister site of Petra, a few hundred miles to the north in Jordan. Hegra was the second city of the Nabataean kingdom, but Hegra does much more than simply play second fiddle to Petra: it could hold the key to unlocking the secrets of an almost-forgotten ancient civilization.

Determined to wean its economy off the petro pipeline, Saudi Arabia is banking on tourism as a new source of income. Oil currently accounts for 90 percent of the country’s export earnings and makes up about 40 percent of its GDP. In 2016, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Saudi Vision 2030, a roadmap for the country over the next two decades that aims to transform it into a global hub for trade and tourism that connects Africa, Asia and Europe.



The rock-cut constructions at Hegra look similar to its more famous sister site of Petra, a few hundred miles to the north in Jordan. (Royal Commission for AlUla)

Saudi Arabia launched tourist visas for the first time in September 2019, allowing casual visitors without a business or religious purpose into the country. Hegra, with its mysterious, eye-catching architecture, is an obvious choice to highlight when marketing Saudi Arabia to tourists. Much of Hegra’s appeal lies in the fact that it’s virtually unknown to outsiders despite its similarities to Petra, which now sees nearly one million visitors a year and could be classified as an endangered world heritage site if not properly cared for, according to Unesco.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/hegra-ancient-city-saudi-arabia-untouched-for-millennia-makes-its-public-debut-180976361/

[42bambi]

1. What an amazing find! I will always be in awe of their architecture! Thanks for posting.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Hard to believe that could happen! I didn't know about it until seeing this artical. Thanks.

[lillypaddle]

2. Wow!

Awesome.

[Judi Lynn]

8. It's great learning people could do this kind of thing so long ago, isn't it? Yikes.

[Karadeniz]

3. I visited Petra as a teenager... loved it, never forgot it! So happy there's another one!

[Judi Lynn]

9. You are beyond lucky to have seen that! The photos of Petra, and online info. are astonishing.

[Karadeniz]

13. I was very lucky! Also, Goreme is carved into the Cappadocian hills and fascinating.

[PatrickforO]

4. At least two thousand years old.

The Smithsonian article is really good. Thank you Judi.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Thanks, so much, for checking it out.

[iluvtennis]

5. Love it - thanks for sharing. nt

[Judi Lynn]

11. Thank you, ILT.

[ornotna]

6. It's been known for many years

I used to live in SA in the mid to late sixties. As a Boy Scout we camped there for a week. Red Sea Troop 1!
Near by are an old Ottoman fort and the rail system that Lawrence of Arabia attacked and bombed. I still have a piece of the old narrow gauge track.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Red Sea Troop, yet! My goodness! So glad Lawrence of Arabia failed to destroy it.

The view is nearly too hard to believe, in photos. Wow.

Thank you for your actual first hand memory.

[Judi Lynn]

14. It seems even stranger, after having time to sink in, that they claimed, in the title:

HEGRA, AN ANCIENT CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA UNTOUCHED FOR MILLENNIA, MAKES ITS PUBLIC DEBUT

Clearly, that wouldn't be the case. I've had more time to think about it, but it looks like the author was very much uninformed about the material being discussed. Big mistake!

It wasn't unknown to the kids who camped there on their trips, or the people who were stationed at the Ottoman fort, or the people who installed and worked on the railroad, or Lawrence of Arabia, and everyone who tore around out there then!

Hmmmmm.

Maybe it was meant that it wasn't officially set up as a tourists' destination, with little markers, restrooms, and a concession stand! No souvenir booths.

Theywill need one of these: ▶️▶️▶️▶️▶️▶️

[ornotna]

15. I suppose that's what the author meant

KSA only very recently opened up to tourism. We lived there and were granted permission for our trip. It was a lot of fun as a kid. Of course this was the late 60's and the Geo-political situation was so different back then.