Madain Salih l Photo Gallery.

[Olive touch]

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up6.jpg

http://tramp.travel.pl/photo/00238/duze/pict4040.jpg

LOCAITON
Northern Saudi Arabia

Since Saudi Arabia don’t issue Tourist VISA enjoy the free tour ;).

Madain Saleh.
http://nabataea.net/MedainSaleh.jpg

Madain Saleh is older then its northern sister Petra in Jordan yet Madain
Saleh went through more historical events since it was destroyed by one of
Gods miracle. I think they have to add this location as one of the Worlds wonders.


~The tribe of this town were vanished as Dinosaurs vanished~

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/nakhel.jpg

http://www.najaco.com/adventure/madain_saleh/pics1/30.jpg

Historical view of the city
http://www.allehabi-agency.com.sa/images/031.jpg


THE STORY OF THAMUD PROPHET SALEH
(peace be upon Him)

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up7.jpg

Saleh was born in the ninth generation from Nuh. He was appointed prophet
for the Thamud people who inhabited the moutanous territory between Hejaz
and Palestine. They built their homes by hewing the rocky faces of cliffs.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up11.jpg

They lived long lives and worshiped gods made from stone. They refused to
listen to the wisdom of Saleh and challenged him to show them any sign to
prove that an invisible God existed.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up9.jpg

They demanded a miracle at their annual festival. They told Saleh: "You pray
to your God and we will pray to ours. Let us see whose prayer is accepted,
yours or ours. That will decide the matter between us.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up8.jpg

They came in drones from around the land and gathered around their
decorated stone gods and brought offerings for fulfilments of their prayers.
Clearly the stone gods were unable to respond to their prayers. They then
turned to Saleh and one of them asked him to pray to his God and to bring
out a pregnant camel from the large boulder that was lying on the ground,
and if this she-camel had an off-spring bom in front of their eyes, they would
accept Saleh's God as theirs as well.

Saleh prayed to The Almighty Allah and sure enough a pregnant she-camel
rose out of the large boulder and gave birth to a calf as they watched. They
were clearly struck with wonder on this miracle.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up1.jpg

In accordance with Allah's Command, Saleh told the people that they must
share their drink with the camel. It was agreed that the people would use the
water from the village well on all days of the week except one day which was
reserved for the camel and her baby. But they were a disobedient people.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/mahlb.jpg
The camel milking

They refused the animals to drink or graze freely in the territory as agreed,
and forced Saleh to assume their full responsibility. Saleh told them
that the camel and her baby were there because they had asked for the
miracle, and they must take care of the animals. They threatened to kill the
two animals. He then reminded them of the benevolence of Allah that only
He could bestow over His creation without asking for it, namely water, rain,
fertility of the land where crops grow, the stone cliffs where they built their
homes, and the clean air that they breathed. They must refrain from their
threatened acts otherwise they would bring down a disaster over
themselves.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up4.jpg

One day the people carried out their threat and slew both the mother and her
baby camel. This invited Allah's immediate wrath.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up10.jpg

Allah instructed Saleh to leave the territory along with his family and a small
group of true believers before His wrath would strike that insolent people. No
sooner the pious group of believers had crossed over the last of the cliffs,
than a tremendous earth quake -shook the land with a blinding lightning and
an ear shattering thunder. The entire people in that territory perished along
with their false gods.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/up5.jpg

The stories mentioned in the Holy Quran in those versus:

Araf, Lut, Ibrahim, Hajar, Furqan, Nahl, Ankabooi, Ha-Meem Sajdah, Zariyat,
Qamar, al-Haqah, Fajar, Shams.


The Napatean and Thamud tombs

The people of Nabatean civilization in AL-Hijr were interested in the outside
tomb shape more than the inside . Inside , it was a normal room with tombs in
its ground and walls to keep their deads. the tombs fronts gave an idea
about the technical effects which were imported by AL-Hifr people from the
countries they traded with.

http://www.al-jazirah.com.sa/magazine/06012004/4.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal1.jpg

Qasr AL- Fareed
http://www.al-ola.com/picture/fared.jpg

Qaser AL-Bint
http://www.al-ola.com/picture/bint.jpg

Qaser Al-sani

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sani.jpg

Tombs
http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal10.jpg

The front of a tomb
http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal4.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal11.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal16.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/sal17.jpg

Two examples to Nabatean tombs entrances

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/fas2.jpg

AL Diwan

It is a Nabatean rectangular and irregular temple engraved inside the rock . It
was used in religious liturgy .

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/diwan.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/diwanins.jpg

Inside taomb

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/insid1.jpg

Lion tombs:

These tombs are known like these because of the creatures on top of them .
There are twenty one tombs.

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/osod1.jpg

http://www.al-ola.com/picture/osod2.jpg

http://tramp.travel.pl/photo/00238/duze/pict3954.jpg

The Nabatean ornaments of tombs.

http://www.baynardscastle.com/medsaleh/857-4~18.jpg

http://iraq-ins.kokushikan.ac.jp/Images0/MadainSaleh.JPG

http://www.watein.com/ksaimg/albums/userpics/29.jpg

http://tramp.travel.pl/photo/00238/duze/pict3951.jpg

http://tramp.travel.pl/photo/00238/duze/pict4072.jpg


I hope you enjoyed the tour ;).

[Deol]

are nabateans related to present day arabs? very intersting pics by the way, this looks even more mysterious then petra. Middle east is the most mysterious place on earth, with so much history, every where you go, you will find some ancient place.

[Qatar4Ever]

This sucks i swear. Not the pics or madinet salah. Ive heard of these places for such long time and seen alot of pictures, each times i get more and more attracted to the place. What sucks is KSA doesnt issue tourist visa. GOD, walla 7aram.. kill hal petrol wil 7aj ow il 3omrah and pictures of acient cities like this, ow ma3ndkim tourist visa. I swear if there is a change of mentality towards tourism saudi arabia in no time can be a hot spot !! It sucks to see it going the other direction :( I swear id give everything to have 1/4 of these in qatar at least to show ppl we have proof of a rich history.. im sure this is just one of many things in KSA that bare witness to its great history..

[Deol]

i know saudi arabia is full of history and ancient places, afterall western parts of saudi arabia are from the biblical times. if tourism is allowed saudi arabia could become the next egypt or even bigger

[Olive touch]

I would love to thank both of you for responds.

Deol yes The Nabatians are related to the present Arabs and you can see them living in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
They speak Arabic as we have something called (Nabati poems). I have a hard time understanding their dialoged but I am sure if I used to it I will understand it.
Basically Nabati dialoged is a pure form of Bedwen dialoged.

Thank you so much for the complement Doel and you said that this is more attractive then Petra because you love the land. Petra is more beautiful in the look and looks more new because it was built more current then Madain Saleh + Petra did not face Gods anger therefore it was not destroyed.

Qatar4ever You scared me :D. I am sorry for that, but Qataris and us are one this is your land. Qatar has its own attraction as any country in the world.

Again Deol you gave us a bigger complement more then what we worth. I think nothing can beat the pyramids of Geza :).

Soon I will post more historical photos since both of you were interested.

[ahmedr]

Wow, never saw those before! They look so clean and sharp, like they were carved out yesterday! How old are these structures anyway?

[Olive touch]

Hello Ahmad,
I am sorry I really don’t know how old it is but some thousands of years ago at the prophet Saleh time.

[Allan]

This so nice man :okay:

[Nizey]

Wow, the history is amazing.

[Machiavelli]

Simply Amazing!
What a place...

[Olive touch]

Really thank you for participation. My pleasure.

[Anas Anani]

Absolutely magnificient!

[HiJazzey]

I've got some books on local archeology at home. I'll post some extra details like dating when I leave the office.

[Anas Anani]

Great mashkoor ya Hayjjazi ;)

[Olive touch]

I've got some books on local archeology at home. I'll post some extra details like dating when I leave the office.
I been waiting for so long Hijhazzy just do it :D.

[HiJazzey]

hehe, I forgot about this.

[EleGance]

jesus christ what a place???????????????????????????????????
i wonder why it is so ignored by media!!
can i pay a visit to this place or it seems forbidden?

[Olive touch]

Hello EleGance Saudi Arabia is very isolated to tourists this is why the media
ignore everything from Arabia.

Soon Tourist VISA will be opened. I think you will have the chance to visit
it. If you did just remember me :).

HiJazzy: I was kidding you. I was using your name to raise it up :D.

[Olive touch]

Wops My bad.

[HiJazzey]

I'll write a bit anyway Majed, ...tomorrow inshallah :D


Elegance,
There are some guided tours available. But they're limited in numbers and expensive.

[Anas Anani]

Hey guys, i went to visit the national library of quebec on friday it recently opend, it had soooooooo many books thought i actually went there to check if it had anything interesting because usually in quebec out of every library i visit from 1 000 000 book only 10 are interesting the rest are useless for me half are comic books :S... anyways i found many interesting books talking about the history of all the mid-east and there was a book entitled Al-Hijaz! it had a lot very great book tooo bad I couldn't take that book.... it was in the ''national'' section thought its ironic they call it national section because there is many documents involving the goverment and politics but it also had forbidden books such as hitler's ''my misery'' and very old books guess what i found ruba3eeyat 3omar khayam!!!! the original .... it was glassified lol :D i wanted to take pics but all the books there including al-hijazi there was a sign saying no photocopies, prints, or photographs,.... they confiscated my cellphone at the entrance. anyways ill try to find a way ;)

[EleGance]

Olive touch so sad to hear about that
i like historical places sooo much i wont miss this place and sure i will remember u

HiJazzey thanks for guidance

[HiJazzey]

Some chronology:

The first half of the 1st millenium BC is estimated as the earliest occupation of the Madain Saleh site. It was originally a northern Minaean town. They were later joined/succeeded by the Lihyanites Thamud and the Nabateans. The pictures you see, are of the (Nabatean) necropolis. The actual town itself is only partially excavated. Nabatean settlement is dated to the 1st century BC, but the city expanded greatly between AD 1-10.

[Olive touch]

Wonderful updates HiJazzey. Thank you so much my twin brother ;).

BTW, did you know there are a lot of figures been stolen by Europeans from
Median Saleh? This is so sad.

Here is the link: http://www.alwifaq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=5310

[Saudi guy]

how couldnt i see these subject its soo great Olive touch if you have other images pls put it now
what a Marvelous city i never thout it looks like these....there many Enigma things
isnt here any research center???

[metal gear]

saudi arabia is not closed, otherwise explain the 14 million foriegners in it.iam one of them, and it seems every nation in the world is here.
i understand the yearning to a mestic and udescovered land but that is not saudi arabia (one of the most modern states in the world )
all the talk about saudi arabia beeng different and isolated is ignorance .
the reason for the no tourism visa in sa is so manny people want to come here for work .
BTW IS THE US OR EU SOOOOO EASY TO ENTER??????????
facts pls

[Saudi guy]

photo & info by walter callens

Al Ola - lihyanith petroglyph
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carved human figures Al Ola
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old Al Ola
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al khuraibba tombs - Al Ola
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mada'in saleh
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[Saudi guy]

more photos by walter callens

Al Ula is situated northwest of Saudi Arabia. It is about 400 km north of Al Madinah.

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Islamic castle mada'in saleh
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old railway station hejaz
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Al Ula is characterised by its attractive natural scenery marked by the reddish sandstone inselbergs carved by natural agencies into beautiful and attractive shapes. Sand dunes and inselbergs combined together to form a wonderful display of thrilling nature. During winter and spring, after the rain, the areas turns into green fields attracting the inhabitants and visitors from outside the region.

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desert flora
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elephant rock
Near Al Ula, the Elephant Rock is a natural beauty produced in the sandstone by the regular sandstorms over thousand of years.

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ohh iam so tired :sleepy:

[dubai3000]

wow what a historical place. Its amazing most of the world doesn't even about this. I would love to go here alone and meditate in its isolation.

[huit]

Is there any way to visit this place?

[Saudi guy]

yep now y can:)

[dubai3000]

you can visit it anytime as long as you are living in saudi arabia

[Saudi guy]

^^in fact recently allowed for Saudi to visit madain saleh it was prohibited to go there and take photos!!

[dubai3000]

really? why was it?

i heard there are legends that people are afraid to go there because god destroyed the city.

[Saudi guy]

yes i agree with you they afraid and said it's cursed btw god didn't destroyed it just killed people who lived there by Yelling!!!

[Tonnerre]

Thank you for these stunning pics

[leetroy]

http://i.pbase.com/g6/41/788741/2/82958173.SGNelFVV.jpghttp://www.travel-images.com/saudi-arabia115.jpgIT IS MY STRONG BELIEF THAT AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY ARE TO BE INTEGRAL PARTS OF BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PRIVATE LIFE.

BUT FAR FROM ANY DOGMATIC APPROACH, PRACTICABILITY IS THE KEY PRINCIPLE. THEREFORE, I WANT TO SHARE ISSUES, NEWS, THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON TOPICS RELATED TO MANAGEMENT, CONSULTING, TOURISM, DESTINATIONS, INTER-CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE
- AND I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO COMMENT.
MONDAY, 14 JULY 2008
Destination Report: Saudi Arabia
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_F3SxhVlloqc/RsSi4_BOt6I/AAAAAAAABQY/Y6NU2WO2Y7g/RIMG0212.JPG
Mada’in Saleh enlisted as
UNESCO World Heritage Site


Mada’in Saleh is ready: as the first site in the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia, it has recently been inscribed by the UNESCO in the World Heritage List.

UNESCO Inscription Mada'in Saleh

The Nabatean city, located 400 km north of the Holy City of Madinah and 25 km away from the biblical settlement of al-‘Ula, has for long been recognised as a potential world class attraction. The nomination as one of the world's historical sites of “outstanding universal value” finally acknowledges Mada’in Saleh’s status on the Arabian Peninsula. Until today, it has reached only a trickle of the attention that its sister city Petra in neighboring Jordan is getting – but this might change in the future.


Archaelogical Landscape of Mada'in Saleh


Mada’in Saleh (or al-Hijr in local language) was inhabited from approximately 200 BCE until 200 CE, first by the Thalmuds and then by the Nabateans. The latter established it firmly as a a trading station along the incense route across the Arabian Peninsula. While little remains of the urban structures in the centre of the site, remnants of walls, cisterns and water systems can still be found. The paramount highlight, however, are the surrounding mountains that boast a total of 131 tombs carved into the desert stone.


Rock Tombs in the Desert Sandstone


For those able to enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with its strict visa procedures, a visit to Mada’in Saleh via the starting base al-‘Ula is rather straightforward: access can be made by domestic flights or by car, and the desert town has a choice of two good hotels: the very friendly Mada’in Saleh Hotel and the Arac Hotel Al-Ula.


Morning Impressions of the Oasis at al-'Ula


Visiting the site of Mada’in Saleh requires a free permit to be obtained beforehand through the hotel or the tour operator. A thorough visit by 4x4 usually comprises two half-days, necessary to cover most of the sites around the 13 km² area and to enjoy the different lightning conditions in the morning and in the evening. A special site feature is a restored Hijaz Railway station where old locomotives of German origin can still be seen.


Restored Station of the Hijaz Railway


The Saudi General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has welcomed the nomination by the UNESCO and currently contemplates suggesting more heritage sites for inclusion in the list. As part of the World Heritage, Mada’in Saleh will certainly get a boost in attention from local and international tourism. It is to be expected that in the near future, a thorough site management including interpretation centres will be established, thus strongly enhancing the visitor experience.


Unique Rock Formations in the Desert Landscape


Mada’in Saleh combines a unique scenery with outstanding cultural and historic heritage. Visiting it nowadays in the loneliness of the spectacular landscape simply leaves the interested onlooker breathless and in awe.

And from my personal experience I can only recommend to anyone going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia not miss it – it is a true beauty in the Arabian desert.

[leetroy]

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blogs/travel_blog/uploaded_images/Saudi-Arabia-771229.jpghttp://www.eddie-hughes.com/pix/main.php/d/255-2/normal_Madain_Saleh_Tomb-3.jpghttp://www.iqrasense.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/madain-saleh3.gifhttp://i.pbase.com/g6/41/788741/2/82958179.lrRHgixQ.jpghttp://i.pbase.com/g6/41/788741/2/82958173.SGNelFVV.jpghttp://www.saudicaves.com/bnw/dam.jpghttp://www.islamicvoice.com/2001-07/images/07saleh1.jpg

[channel]

man, those pictures are out of this world, simply awesome. :drool::omg:

[*UofT*]

yes i agree with you they afraid and said it's cursed btw god didn't destroyed it just killed people who lived there by Yelling!!!

Sorry could you clarify that, people that yelled there died?

[kasy boy]

NICE PICS

[Mesch]

THiS is REALLY sad. It is so sad because countries like Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Easter Island (I think a British overseas territory), Macchu Pichu (Peru's jewell) are gaining MILLIONS of dollars and people and recognition of the media and we don't have half of what they get.
For God's sakes, none of these places, not our historic mosques, not EVE'S TOMB in Jeddah, or Shelah Cities (Madain Saleh) are even isted in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. this is soooooooooo sad.. It's sad that it tears my heart in halves :(
I mean just look at the potential of Saudi Arabia as being the next Egypt or Mexico..
Ye3ni fe3lan wella 7aram.. I knew a lot about these sites LONG time ago. and I was shocked that they weren't granted a little attention.. Simply I kept Ale33in the SAHCTA (Saudi Arabian High Comission of Tourism and Antiquities)
By the way.. Hud's name in English is "Eber", Saleh's "Shelah", and Nuh's "Noah" ;)

[Get Smart]

tottally amazing http://www.smileyhut.com/yes_no/yes.gif