Saudi Arabia’s treasures are being opened up to the world, and there is an abundance of them. The Kingdom has no fewer than six UNESCO World Heritage sites, some of which are being transformed into destinations with rich visitor experiences. Many other precious sites remain relatively untouched, open to those who know their locations or intrepid explorers who stumble across them in the desert. History buffs can visit both kinds of archaeological ruins, but note that unauthorised excavation or collection of items is illegal. Take care at undeveloped sites, especially with children, and help preserve the country’s heritage for future generations by not standing on structures or touching any decoration or carvings.
A Brief History
The Arabian Penninsula has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, when early humans emerging from Africa migrated across the Arabian Peninsula to Asia. The Nabataeans were an ancient people of Arabia, known for their trading caravans, travelling and carrying goods such as incense, spices, silk, precious metals and gemstones and much more.
While they are believed to date back to the 6th century BCE, living firstly as a nomadic people, there is evidence of settlements between the Euphrates River, in modern day Iraq, and the Red Sea from before 300 BCE until the 1st century. Their capital was Petra in Jordan, but Saudi Arabia’s sites in Tabuk Region at Hegra, AlUla and Magha'ir Shu'ayb show how they used an established network of waypoint towns along the routes they travelled. The monumental settlements and innovative water systems attest to the prosperity and ingenuity of the Nabataeans, while their decor highlights influences from the various neighbouring dynasties of the age, including the Romans and Greeks, showing how they interacted with others through trade.
In the intervening centuries, the region was split between divided tribes until the 6th century CE, when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Makkah, the Holy City. Makkah is home to the sacred Ka’aba, the holiest site in Islam, which is located in the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram. Muslims visit the city of Makkah regularly to make the Umrah pilgrimages every year.
The Najd region, in the centre of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was left to local rule. It was in Riyadh in the 1700s that the story of modern-day Saudi Arabia began, after Imam Muhammad ibn Saud established the first Saudi State and Ad Diriyah was named as its capital.
In the year 1240 AH / 1824 CE, Imam Turki bin Abdullah founded the second Saudi State and his grandson, King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1319 AH / 1902 CE.
The best place to learn in depth about the history of Saudi Arabia, and to see the artefacts found at its various archaeological sites in one place, is the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. A contemporary interactive attraction, its eight galleries take the visitor on a journey through time from the prehistoric era to the modern day, with exhibitions featuring mastodons and asteroids, as well as Neolithic rock art and exhibitions on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Hajj and the Two Holy Mosques.
The Antiquities Museum, located at King Saud University’s College of Tourism and Archaeology in Riyadh, displays a number of artefacts from the nation’s archaeological sites, including Qaryat al Faw, 700km south-west of Riyadh; Al Rabadhah, 20km south-east of Al Madinah; and Al Khuraybah in AlUla.
While in Riyadh, don’t miss Al Masmak Fortress. Located in the old quarter of the city, the 150 year-old building houses a museum chronicling the formation of the modern Kingdom. Learn about the country's founder King Abdulaziz ibn Saud at Al Murabba Palace, which hosts a historical centre in addition to spectacular gardens. There is more to discover at King Abdulaziz Memorial Hall in King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah).
Ad Diriyah, Riyadh
Just north-west of today’s capital city, Riyadh, lies Ad Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ad Diriyah dates back to 1446, when the settlement was first established in Wadi Hanifa by an ancestor of the Saud family, Mani’ Al-Muraydi. An oasis in the desert, Ad Diriyah went on to become a destination for trade and a stopover for pilgrims. In 1727, Ad Diriyah was named the country's capital after Imam Muhammad ibn Saud established the first Saudi State. At Turaif, a district of Ad Diriyah characterised by its mudbrick buildings guarded by citadels, was the original seat of power of the Royal family, and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010.
It will soon be possible to wander through the narrow streets of At Turaif district, which are being restored as a living museum with several historical attractions including a village recreating life as it was 300 years ago, as well as an art district. Al Bujairy district, one of the Ad Diriyah historical neighbourhoods, is already open to visitors. Its traditional mudbrick buildings are now home to the Diriyah Museum and the restored Al Zawiha Mosque, and the neighbourhood is alive with eateries and street-side sellers demonstrating traditional crafts, such as weaving and calligraphy.
The Diriyah Gate development, one of the Kingdom’s signature tourism projects, will also bring luxury living, five-star resorts, designer shopping and dining to the district, as well as a cluster of universities and arts organisations. Once the development is complete, visitors will be able to walk along a 3km escarpment overlooking At Turaif, admiring the traditional Najdi architecture.
AlUla, Al Madinah Area
The region of AlUla, located about 325km north of Al Madinah city, is home to some of Saudi Arabia’s most valuable heritage sites. The region has been developed into a phenomenal tourist destination featuring not only numerous archaeological sites, but making the most of its stunning natural landscapes and exciting activities, artistic attractions and the impressive architectural feat of Maraya, a cubic structure in the desert that is home to a concert hall, and is the largest mirrored building in the world.
The city of Hegra within AlUla, also known as Madain Saleh, was Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. Second only to Petra, in Jordan, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom.
The site is revered for its 111 monumental necropolises, which feature grand, lavishly decorated facades carved into the sandstone surrounding the ancient city and are remarkably well preserved. Many still retain the inscriptions which give details about the people laid to rest in the tombs, providing insight into the lives of these civilisations.
Hegra’s history stretches beyond the Nabataeans, but its heyday was between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, when it was populated by a prosperous elite. The ancient city also demonstrates the ingenuity of the Nabataeans in mastering hydraulic techniques for agricultural purposes. It is surrounded by the remains of more than 130 still-functioning wells and channels, whereby they stored and redirected water to survive in the dry desert.
The decorative and architectural motifs – including Roman columns and eagles and Greek triangular styles – demonstrate influences from Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician and Hellenistic civilisations, while the presence of scripts of several ancient languages, including Lihyanite, Thamudic, Nabataean, Greek and Latin, lend weight to its location as a crossroads for traders from all around the world.
The Nabataean Kingdom was annexed by the Roman Empire in 106 CE and occupied until 300 CE, and there is evidence the city was protected by 3km of Roman walls. A crossroads for the caravan trade between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean and Asia, traders and pilgrims continued to travel by this route throughout the Pre-Islamic era, although the city was abandoned until modern Saudi Arabia constructed railway infrastructure at the start of the 20th century.
But Hegra is not the oldest of AlUla’s attractions. The city of Dadan dates back to the 9th century BCE, when it was the capital of the ancient North Arabian kingdoms of the Dadan, and subsequently the Lihyan.
The prosperity from the incense trade, which traded frankincense and myrrh grown in the southern regions of modern-day Saudi Arabia with Mesopotamia, Egypt and beyond, led Dadan to be one of the most highly developed cities of its time, built from stone. Tombs featuring sculptures of lions, defence ramparts and palm plantations are preserved to view in the city.
Inscriptions made in ancient languages can be found across the AlUla region, and provide insight into the ways of life and beliefs of these ancient civilisations. They also shine a light on the evolution of the Arabic language, featuring pre-Arabic languages such as Aramaic, Dadanitic, Thamudic, Minaic and Nabataean. The most significant of these sites is Jabal Ikmah, a mountain located near Dadan which has been dubbed an 'open-air library', and more can be found at Al Aqra’a mountain and Naqsh Zuhayr.
The AlUla region’s main city, which shares the name AlUla, is home to the area’s fourth historical treasure, AlUla Old Town. This part of the city dates back to the 12th century CE, when it was established as a new town, replacing an older nearby settlement as a waypoint for travellers between Damascus, today in Syria, and Makkah, and was inhabited until the 1980s.
Tabuk
As the northern gateway to the Arabian Peninsula, the region of Tabuk has also been moulded by the travellers who have passed through it over centuries, including both merchants on the many trade routes across the kingdom as well as pilgrims destined for Makkah.
Before departing from the region’s capital city of the same name, there are numerous fortresses to explore, as well as the old quarter of the town, which is home to its lively market, Souq Twaheen.
Tabuk Castle, located in the centre of the city, dates back to at least 1559, and today houses a museum which gives a useful insight into the history of Tabuk, including its relationship with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the visits of other notable travellers, such as the explorer Ibn Battuta.
About 240km west of the main city, the remote desert town of Al Bid’a reveals another Nabataean treasure. Here you’ll find necropolises, like Hegra at AlUla, in Al Madinah, and Petra in Jordan, with their tell-tale facades ornately carved in the sandstone. These tombs are believed to date back to 300 BCE.
Other religiously significant areas in this area include the town of Maqna, about 200km from Duba on the Red Sea coast. The Prophet Mousa (Moses) met his wife near its natural spring, Bir Mousa, also known as Bir Al Sa’idani. About 15km up the coastal road from Maqna is the entrance to Sha'ab Mousa. This incredible canyon situated between two walls of steep granite has freshwater running through the wadi bed all year round. It is possible to visit the canyon, where a 5km hike will take you to the Red Sea.
The oldest human settlement discovered in Saudi Arabia is Tamya, also in the Tabuk Region, about 260km south-east of Tabuk city. An oasis town that is believed to have been inhabited since the Bronze Age, the incredible finds here include ancient Egyptian inscriptions of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III (1186 to 1155 BCE) and cuneiform tablets featuring ancient Aramaic inscriptions (600 BCE). The last Neo-Babylonian Emperor, Nabonidus, is even said to have retired in the town.
Hail
Saudi Arabia’s north-central region, Hail – about a third of which is covered by the vast Al Nafud Desert – is home to another of its UNESCO World Heritage sites. The designation is actually made up of three separate sites – on the mountains of Jabal Umm Sinman in Jubbah, and Jabal al Manjor and Jabal Raat near Shuwaymis.
Jubbah is located about 90km north-west of the region’s principal city, also called Hail, while the two other sites are located about 250km south of Hail city, and around 30km outside the town of Shuwaymis.
The drawings and inscriptions at these sites date back as far as 10,000 years, and are especially enlightening because they portray a time when the climate of the region was very different. Jabal Umm Sinman once had a freshwater lake at its base, while Jabal al Manjor and Jabal Raat had a valley with flowing water.
The petroglyphs, carved with simple stone hammers, illustrate the daily lives of the people, as well as what they wore, the animals they lived with and weapons they used, as well as documenting the environmental challenges they faced as a result of the desertification of the region during the mid-Holocene period.
Call the Tourism Call Centre on 930 in advance of visiting these sites to check opening times and arrange permissions.
Al Ahsa Oasis, Eastern Region
Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites also include Al Ahsa Oasis and Jeddah’s Old Town. Al Ahsa Oasis is the largest self-contained oasis in the world with more than 2.5 million date palm trees, and is one of the Gulf region’s first human civilisations.
Al Ahsa Oasis’s features – from its historical buildings such as fortresses and mosques, as well as agricultural systems like canals and wells – show evidence of continued human settlement from as far back as the Neolithic period, some 6,000 years ago.
The best way to learn about the area’s many treasures is a visit to the Land of Civilisations attraction on Jabal al Qarah, from where you can also access the network of caves inside the mountain.
Historic Jeddah, Makkah
Historic Jeddah is also a UNESCO World Heritage site characterised by towering buildings decorated with wooden lattices called roshan, which were built in the late 19th century by rich traders.
Najran
Hima Wells are among the most prominent archaeological sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They can be found in the Najran Region and include rock carvings of hunting, animals and the landscape - some are over 7,000 years old.
