Ancient tomb city of Hegra is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site

Hegra, in Saudi Arabia's AlUla region, is best known for its more than 100 monumental tombs carved from rock formations, in which the Nabataean elite were laid to rest.(Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla)

All around us, sandy outcrops of sandstone mountains loom large, making us dwell on our own place (or shall we say, our insignificance?) on Earth. We are at Hegra in AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, home to 110 remarkably well-preserved tombs in the middle of a desert landscape. How else are we supposed to feel as we lift our heads, other than a tiny speck of dust in the universe, as we gaze in awe at the length, breadth and height of some of these mountainous sandstone structures in front of us?

Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, was the principal southern city of the ancient Nabataean kingdom (who prospered from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD), the second largest city after Petra (now in Jordan) which was their capital.

The guitar shaped corridor at Jabal Ithlib.

Our guide for the day, Sulaiman Aljuwayhil, marketing and media relations specialist, AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, points out the Nabataean inscriptions on the facades of the sandstone outcroppings, as well as some of the places of worship, wells and stone-lined water channels carved out in the rocks of Jabal Ithlib, one of the religious areas dedicated to the Nabataean deity Dushara. A narrow corridor among the high mountains, shaped like a guitar, leads to Diwan, the main hall where important political meetings were supposed to be held.

The Diwan at Jabal Ithlib.

The Nabataeans believed in the concept of life after death. The 110 tombs spread across the five main areas of Hegra are proof of that. “The bigger the tomb, the better the afterlife,” says Aljuwayhil. Entering one such tomb at Jabal AlBanat, also known as Qasr AlBint, we spot the grooves and niches in the walls, where the dead bodies were supposed to have been kept, layered in cotton, wool and then leather.

What is even more fascinating is to look out for the symbols and designs on the facades of the tombs, often decorated with symbols such as eagles, sphinxes and snakes, among others. In between the Roman columns, a panel on the rock tells us who commissioned the tomb, who all are allowed to be buried inside it and the penalties to be paid if someone is buried there without the permission of the owner. The more detailed the tomb’s drawings and designs, more the payment for the tomb and the higher the status of the owner, Aljuwayhil shares.

Awe-struck as we are by these huge monuments that in a way celebrate death and afterlife, we are even more intrigued at the prospect of visiting Hegra’s most iconic tomb. Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza lies unfinished, as we are told, but Qasr AlFarid (‘The unique one’, as it is locally known), is carved into its own separate sandstone outcrop, and also has four Nabataean columns instead of the usual two, indicating that it was someone prominent in the Nabataean society who commissioned it. Standing tall and on its own, Hegra’s most popular tomb certainly deserves all the attention.

Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza, Hegra, Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla)

At the visitor’s centre at the entrance of Hegra, the tourists had come face to face with Hinat — an over 2000-year-old Nabataean woman. The creation of the world’s first reconstruction of a Nabataean woman was a result of an excavation of Jabal AlAhmar where approximately 80 bodies were discovered in 2008. The small exhibition of Hinat, as she is affectionately called by the archaeologists, has travelled the world including France and Italy. “She has her own passport. She has travelled more than me!” Aljuwayhil had joked.

Now, we stand in front of the majestic Jabal AlAhmar, which Hinat, the daughter of Wahbu, had commissioned for a tomb for herself and her family. “A powerful Nabataean queen Shaqilath ruled for more than 15 years. Women had the right to own farms and the right to commission tombs. That shows the importance and status of women in society almost 2,000 years ago,” says our guide.

Inside one of the tombs in Hegra.

Outside the visitor’s centre again, we make way for a venomous sidewinder as it crawls alongside the edges of a sandy outcrop. The mighty mountains of Hegra have been left behind but the stories of the ancient civilisation and the experience of visiting the wondrous tombs will always remain a cherished memory.

How to reach

AlUla is well-connected, with flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dubai. Riyadh is the closest, approximately an hour and a half by flight. Private resorts organise day trips to the centrally located Hegra.

The writer was invited by the Royal Commission for AlUla for the AlUla Skies Festival.