Hegra - Mada'in Salih

Hegra (al-Hijr / Mada'in Salih) is Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2008, located 22 km from al-Ula in the Hejaz region. The largest conserved Nabataean site south of Petra, it features 111 monumental tomb facades carved into golden Quweira sandstone, 94 of which are decorated, dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The iconic Qasr al-Farid stands as an unfinished tomb with visible tool marks revealing ancient carving techniques. The Jebel Ithlib complex includes a 40-meter natural siq with sacred niches and a triclinium feasting chamber. The site also preserves pre-Nabataean Lihyanite inscriptions and evidence of later Roman occupation.