Hegra

Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ (Arabic: مَدَائِن صَالِح, lit. 'Cities of Salih') also known as, Hegra (Ancient Greek: Ἕγρα; Latin: Hegrenorum; Arabic: الْحِجْر, romanized: al-Ḥijr),, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the time of the Nabataean Kingdom, when the city was founded. The site constituted the kingdom's southernmost and second largest city after its capital, Petra (modern-day Jordan). Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabataean rule, respectively, can also be found. The site features more than 110 well-preserved Nabataean tombs carved into sandstone outcrops. The archaeological site lies in an arid environment. The dry climate, the lack of resettlement after the site was abandoned, and the prevailing local beliefs about the locality have all led to the extraordinary state of preservation of Al-Hijr, providing an extensive picture of the Nabataean lifestyle. Thought to mark the southern extent of the Nabataean kingdom, Al-Hijr's oasis agriculture and extant wells exhibit the necessary adaptations made by the Nabataeans in the given environment—its markedly distinct settlement is the second largest among the Nabataean kingdom, complementing that of the more famous Petra archaeological site in Jordan. The location of the site at the crossroads of trade, and the various languages, scripts and artistic styles reflected in the façades of its monumental tombs further set it apart from other archaeological sites. It has duly earned the nickname "The Capital of Monuments" among Saudi Arabia's 4,000 archaeological sites. The Quran places the settlement of the area by the Thamudi people during the days of the prophet Salih, between those of Nuh (Noah) and Hud on one hand, and those of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) on the other. However, a definitive historical chronology can not be obtained through the order of verses because the Quranic chapters (see surah) deal with different subjects in non-chronologic order. According to the Quran, the Thamudis were punished by God for their idolatry, struck by an earthquake and lightning blasts. Thus, the site has earned a reputation as a cursed place—an image which the national government is attempting to overcome as it seeks to develop Mada'in Salih for its potential for tourism. In 2008, UNESCO proclaimed Mada'in Salih as a site of patrimony, becoming Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site. It was chosen for its well-preserved remains from late antiquity, especially the 131 monumental rock-cut tombs, with their elaborately ornamented façades, of the Nabataean Kingdom.

Name Its long history and the multitude of cultures occupying the site have produced several names. References by Strabo and other Mediterranean writers use the name Hegra (Ancient Greek: Ἔγρα) for the Nabataean site. The etymology of the name is not clear, and the Semitic root hjr can mean many things: "surround, encompass" (Aramaic); "what is defended, prohibited and illicit" or "wall, high wall" (Arabic). Mada'in Salih, meaning "the cities of Salih", started to be used during the Ottoman period at the earliest. It refers to the Salih, one of the prophets of the Quran that was unable to convince the Thamudeans to abandon their polytheism.

Although Hegra was for a long time not as important as Dedan, foreigners appear to have called the oasis Hegra. For example, the famous statue of the Achaemenid king Darius the Great made in Egypt and erected in Susa calls the Arabs hgr (𓉔𓎼𓃭𓈉).

Location and climate The archaeological site of Hegra is situated 20 km (12 mi) north of the town of Al-'Ula, 400 km (250 miles) northwest of Medina, and 500 km (310 miles) southeast of Petra, Jordan. Istakhri wrote in his Routes of the Realms (مسالك الممالك):

Al-Hijr is a small village. It belongs to Wadi al Gura and is located at one day's travel inside the mountains. It was the homeland of the Thamudians. I have seen those mountains and their carvings. Their houses are similar to ours but are carved in the mountains, which are called the Ithlib mountains. It looks as if they are a continuous range but they are separated and have sand dunes around them. You can reach the top of the mountains, but this is extremely tiring. The well of the Thamudians which is mentioned in the Holy Quran is located in the middle of the mountains. The site is on an inland plain at the foot of Jabal al-Uwayrid, basalt plateau that forms a portion of the Hijaz Mountains in the eastern Hijaz. Beneath the western and northwestern parts of the site, the water table can be reached at a depth of 20 metres (66 ft). The landscape is characterized by isolated Palaeozoic sandstone outcrops shaped by intense erosion during the late Miocene. These sandstones can range from reddish-brown Cambrian layers to lighter Ordovician formations; their fine grain made them well suited to rock carving, though their resistance to erosion varies, with some strata heavily affected by wind erosion and salt crystallization. The sandstone outcroppings of the desert landscape can vary greatly in size and height. The climate is extremely arid, with average annual rainfall below 50 mm. Despite this, the site occupies a favorable hydrological position within a natural drainage gully that collects runoff from surrounding massifs. This runoff recharged shallow groundwater, which in antiquity lay less than 10 m below the surface. Exploiting these conditions, the Nabataeans developed an oasis sustained primarily by numerous deep wells rather than by surface channels, enabling irrigated agriculture and supporting both the local population and travelers through the region.

History

Rock writings Recent archaeological work has revealed numerous rock writings and pictures not only on Mount Athleb, but also throughout central Arabia. They date between the sixth century BC and the fourth century AD and are labelled as being Thamudic, a name invented by nineteenth-century scholars for these large numbers of inscriptions which had not yet been properly studied.

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