Roberta Fedele

Saudi Gazette

 

In the desert of Hejaz, along the ancient caravan routes, lay ruins of abandoned cities. Following these routes and the traces of Lawrence of Arabia, we took advantage of Eid vacations with a group of mostly Italian tourists to reach Al-Ula and Madain Saleh.



Here we admired ruins of colossal necropolis carved in red stones that carry echoes of ancient civilizations hit by Biblical and Qur’anic curses.



We left in 17, wearing our multi-colored “keffia”, on board 4 brand new Land Rovers by Aljazirah Safari, a company organizing memorable adventure trips all around the Kingdom. In the background, the usual whirlwind of cars, honks and neon lights of Jeddah, a modern metropolis that Lawrence of Arabia wouldn’t probably recognize today.



We headed north on the pilgrims’ route where the legendary mountains of Hejaz (literally ‘barrier’) cross the landscape together with herds of camels, Bedouin settlements, crumbling gas stations and stone deserts. 



After four hours drive, lulled by Arabian melodies, we reached the deviation for the Holy City of Madinah. Muslims visited the Prophet’s Mosque mingling with pilgrims before spending the night with the rest of the group in the non-Muslim area.



At sunrise, the enchanting prayer of a muezzin filled the atmosphere. The prospect of visiting lost crossroads of ancient civilizations, explorers and caravans created a certain excitement.



Another 3 hours drive quickly passed admiring the black color of volcanic formations gradually fading into more lively colors and various shades of red. An old book by Italian explorer and archaeologist Cino Boccazzi kept us company and fueled our expectations.



Our first stop was at Khaybar Dam, one of the largest ancient dams in the Kingdom. Located 150 Km north of Madinah, Khaybar was a fortress town inhabited by Jewish tribes that fell to Muslim forces in 629 CE.



And then, finally, we reached the small town of Al-Ula, the location of the Biblical Dedan, cursed by many prophecies. 



As we entered the city, gateway to Madain Saleh, we were overwhelmed by its incredibly beautiful landscape with palm trees at the center of a wadi and inaccessible red sandstone cliffs dramatically charming.



Comfortable and well connected to touristic sites in the area, Al-Ula Arac Resort became home to our new extended family for the next 2 days.



The small town revealed us its history and beauty through its old mud village and numerous rock inscriptions. The most ancient epigraphs of the 6th Century BC are on Mount Ikmah and correspond to the Lihyanite period.



Dedan was an important commercial site and independent city-state. The Dedanites traded with the Sabaean Kingdom since the beginning of the 1st millennium BC.



Dedan also became the capital of the Lihyanite Kingdom that lasted from the 6th to the 2nd century BC. The city probably declined with the arrival of the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC and the raise of Hegra, today’s Madain Saleh (The city of Prophet Saleh).



The necropolis of Jabal Al-Khuraybah, the only remain of the biblical city of Dedan, is surrounded by palm groves whose greenery generates beautiful contrasts on the background of the ancient city’s rocky promontory. Unfortunately, the site was closed the day of our arrival. 



From outside the site, at the foot of Jabal Al-Khuraybah, we could see a row of tombs excavated in the rock appearing as simple square openings. Inside the site are the two famous “lion tombs” carved in the rock.



A bit disappointed for being denied access inside the necropolis, we regained enthusiasm enjoying a stunning night view of Al-Ula from the top of a volcanic hill at King Abdulaziz National Park. The morning arrived fast. We got to Madain Saleh’s UNESCO site under the burning sun and noticed the particular shapes of the mountains unique to the area.



First, a quick look at one of the major stations of the Hejaz Railway that used to connect Turkey to Madinah. The station recalls the story of Lawrence of Arabia and of the Arab revolt against the Ottomans but has lost a bit of its charm having being completely restored.



Between Madinah and Madain Saleh it is possible to find other 19 sub-stations probably enjoying a greater decadent charm.



Then, ultimately, we got to the legendary tombs.  Here, the words of Italian explorer Boccazzi echoed in our minds.



“Nothing remains today of Hegra, the splendid city that was inhabited by the living. Everything confirms here that men have built for the only certainty they had, death, excavating elaborated and majestic palace-tombs in rock walls, milestones along the path of time.”



Madain Saleh was the Nabataeans’ second city after the better-known Petra in the actual Jordan. Its landscape of sand dunes with majestic reddish rock formations and the absence of crowds of tourists allowed us to imagine the feelings of 19th century explorers whose solitary travels were authentic adventures.



The Madain Saleh site holds 94 monumental tombs excavated from top to bottom. Their facades display columns and various forms of decorations including sphinxes, snakes, eagles and solar discs. The details vary according to the wealth and status of the owners.



Fifty-three tombs are concentrated in Al Khuraimat in the southwestern part of Madain Saleh’s monumental area. Here we spent most of our time.



We then reached the area of Mount Ithlib (Jabal Ithlib) with its rocky summits offering a breathtaking view. We accessed Mount Ithlib through a famous narrow gorge known as the “Siq”, literally ‘Shaft’. Climbing under the burning sun was a hard but rewarding experience.



Up there, as Bottazzi romantically pointed out, invocations to the living rise from Madain Saleh’s walls of red sandstone and narrow tunnels.



At the entrance of the “Siq” is the “Diwan”, literally “Meeting Room”, a 12 x 10 meters space engraved in the rocks. It is one of the few examples of non-funerary architecture. Here, Nabatean people performed public and religious ceremonies.



Our visit to Madain Saleh ended at Qasr Al Fareed (The Unique), a solitary huge tomb of a rare beauty engraved in a single rock.



And, our last memory of this trip is a mind-blowing sunset at Elephant rock, a natural rock formation near the city of Al-Ula.



Returning to Jeddah wasn’t as exciting as leaving but however more pleasant than expected. In a remote and run-down gas station we picked up random Cds and discovered the relaxing and folkloristic music and poetry of famous bandit Bandar Bin Sourur.



If you want to know more about Aljazirah Safari and their adventure trips in the Kingdom please visit: http://www.aljazirasafari.com