World Heritage Identification Number: 1293
World Heritage since: 2008
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Archaeological Sites
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
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Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ): A Testimony to Nabataean Civilization
The Hegra Archaeological Site, officially recognized as al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ, stands as a significant historical landmark in Saudi Arabia. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, this ancient city is the first such designation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Previously known as Hegra, it holds immense importance as the largest preserved remnant of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) is the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. Formerly known as Hegra it is the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan. It features well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The site also features some 50 inscriptions of the pre-Nabataean period and some cave drawings. Al-Hijr bears a unique testimony to Nabataean civilization. With its 111 monumental tombs, 94 of which are decorated, and water wells, the site is an outstanding example of the Nabataeans’ architectural accomplishment and hydraulic expertise.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ii): The site of Al-Hijr is located at a meeting point between various civilisations of late Antiquity, on a trade route between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean world and Asia. It bears outstanding witness to important cultural exchanges in architecture, decoration, language use and the caravan trade. Although the Nabataean city was abandoned during the pre-Islamic period, the route continued to play its international role for caravans and then for the pilgrimage to Mecca, up to its modernisation by the construction of the railway at the start of the 20th century.
Criterion (iii): The site of Al-Hijr bears unique testimony to the Nabataean civilisation, between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC and the pre-Islamic period, and particularly in the 1st century AD. It is an outstanding illustration of the architectural style specific to the Nabataeans, consisting of monuments directly cut into the rock, and with facades bearing a large number of decorative motifs. The site includes a set of wells, most of which were sunk into the rock, demonstrating the Nabataeans' mastery of hydraulic techniques for agricultural purposes.
Encyclopedia Record: Hegra
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia.Additional Site Details
Area: 1,621.2 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: 26.7836111111 , 37.955
Image
Ali Lajami, CC0
