Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Australia
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Home
  2. Bing Gallery
  3. Australia
  4. 2022
  5. July 27
  6. Nabatean tomb, Mada'in Saleh (aka Hegra), Saudi Arabia
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Nabatean tomb, Mada'in Saleh (aka Hegra), Saudi Arabia

July 27, 2022

Nabatean tomb, Mada'in Saleh (aka Hegra), Saudi Arabia

© Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Image

Mada’in Saleh, Saudi Arabia

About 2,000 years ago, Mada’in Saleh, or Hegra as the Romans called it, was a thriving city of the Nabataean Kingdom, and a centre for the trade of spices, incense and myrrh, a valuable tree resin used to make perfume and medicine. The Nabataeans were Arab people whose precise origins are unknown. They lived in northern Arabia and the Southern Levant. Mada’in Saleh was their second largest and southernmost city after Petra, their capital city to the north. About halfway between Petra and Mecca, Mada’in Saleh served primarily as a trading crossroads and was instrumental in establishing the Nabataeans as prosperous middlemen to the rest of the ancient world.

Today it is one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated historic treasures, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, distinguished by more than 100 tombs with ornate facades, carved from sandstone outcroppings on the outskirts of the city. The smallest is less than three metres tall, the largest more than 18. Most of the tombs were carved in groups, but this especially embellished monument is relatively isolated, which is why today it’s known as the Qasr al-Farid (the Lonely Castle). Here in this windswept desert the bustle of merchants and the caravans full of spices are long gone, but these hand-carved boulders rising abruptly out of the landscape remain as evidence of a time when all roads led to Hegra.

sky outdoor desert landscape cloud rock soil

Related Images

Miravet on the Ebro river, Tarragona, Catalonia, SpainMiravet on the Ebro river, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, GermanyHeidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Jotunheimen National Park in NorwayJotunheimen National Park in Norway
Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United StatesMount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Pont St-Pierre across the Garonne River, Toulouse, FrancePont St-Pierre across the Garonne River, Toulouse, France
Big Ben and Parliament, Palace of Westminster, London, EnglandBig Ben and Parliament, Palace of Westminster, London, England
Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, ChileTorres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Castildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, SpainCastildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain

Today on Bing

Vineyards in the Moselle Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Vineyards in the Moselle Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Jul 27, 2024
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Louvre Pyramid, Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Louvre Pyramid, Paris, France

Jul 27, 2023
Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Jul 27, 2021
A numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) in Australia

A numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) in Australia

Jul 27, 2020
The shoreline of Cahuita National Park, in Costa Rica

The shoreline of Cahuita National Park, in Costa Rica

Jul 27, 2019

Related Tags

sky outdoor cloud landscape hillside water mountain nature building lake lush tree clouds sunrise house river castle city day hill
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.