In the desert landscape of AlUla in north-western Saudi Arabia, Hegra appears first as a field of monumental sandstone outcrops. Look closer and the rock faces resolve into carefully cut tomb façades, inscriptions and traces of a once-connected settlement. The archaeological site is also known as al-Hijr; Madā’in Ṣāliḥ is a historical name still familiar to many travellers. It was the first place in Saudi Arabia inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in 2008.
UNESCO identifies Hegra as the largest conserved site of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra. Its 111 monumental tombs include 94 decorated façades, with the main group dating from the first century BCE to the first century CE. The tombs were cut directly into rock, and their entrances combine local craft with influences from several neighboring cultures. They are not interchangeable desert ruins: inscriptions, architectural details and the surrounding landscape each preserve distinct evidence.