Hegra is known for its intricately inscribed Nabataean tombs. Photo: Discovery Channel
Hegra is known for its intricately inscribed Nabataean tombs. Photo: Discovery Channel
Hegra is known for its intricately inscribed Nabataean tombs. Photo: Discovery Channel
Hegra is known for its intricately inscribed Nabataean tombs. Photo: Discovery Channel

Hegra celebrates 15 years as Saudi Arabia's first Unesco World Heritage site


Hareth Al Bustani
  • English
  • Arabic

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Hegra’s designation as a Unesco World Heritage site – Saudi Arabia’s first entry on the list. To mark the occasion, AlUla will be hosting an international archaeology summit from September 13 to 15, featuring more than 60 experts from across the world.

Located in AlUla oasis, the archaeological site formerly served as the southern capital of the North Arabian Nabataean kingdom, and is the civilisation’s largest conserved site south of Jordan’s famous site of Petra.

Hegra “bears outstanding witness to important cultural exchanges in architecture, decoration, language use and the caravan trade", Unesco said when it inscribed the site 15 years ago.

Known as Al Hijr in Arabic, the area is marked by a stunning array of 111 monumental tombs, carved into the sandstone mountains, 94 of which are adorned with elaborate decorations.

A reconstruction of a Nabataean woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago. Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla
A reconstruction of a Nabataean woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago. Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla

Earlier this year, a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, academics and specialists in forensic science and model making produced the world’s first digital and physical reconstruction of a Nabataean woman – whose remains were found at a tomb in Hegra.

The lady, known as Hinat, is believed to have been a prominent member of society, who died in around the first century BC, before being discovered 2,000 years later as part of the Saudi-French Mada’in Salih Archaeological Project – which began its work in Hegra in 2002.

Today, Hinat greets visitors upon arrival, as part of a display at the Hegra welcome centre.

Helen McGauran, heritage curatorial expert at the Royal Commission for AlUla, who led the Hinat initiative, tells The National the project was a way to bring people “face to face” with a member of the Nabataean civilisation. Aligning with Hegra's 15-year anniversary is simply “serendipitous”, she adds.

“I think for most people, [Hegra] evokes this idea of the monumental tombs, more so than the understanding of the Nabataeans as a living people, as a culture that had these huge, impressive cities on the ancient incense routes," she says.

Hegra is marked by a stunning array of 111 monumental tombs, carved into the sandstone mountains. AFP
Hegra is marked by a stunning array of 111 monumental tombs, carved into the sandstone mountains. AFP

Hinat’s skull was selected five years ago based on its level of preservation. Following this, a scientific round-table of experts came together to establish reference points for what she would have most likely looked like, her role in society and what sort of clothes and jewellery she would have worn.

“The Nabataeans were actually really terrible at doing their own portraiture but we've used contemporary portraiture from the time to choose how she would look – the jewellery is based on finds from Hegra,” McGauran says.

The reconstruction process began with a CAT scan of the skull, which allowed the team to build a digital 3D model, followed by a physical reconstruction.

Hinat was probably between her thirties and fifties when she died, McGauran adds, and suffered from various ailments, including nasal irritation, various dental abscesses, a mild defect in her spinal cord and quite severe osteoarthritis, including in her neck.

Hinat on view at the Hegra Visitors Centre. Photo: Royal Commission of AlUla
Hinat on view at the Hegra Visitors Centre. Photo: Royal Commission of AlUla

Aside from her remains, Hinat's tomb also had a story to tell. She was one of 80 individuals buried in what is believed to have been a communal family tomb – which would have been used over the course of decades, if not centuries.

“We know from some of the analysis that's been done, that some of the pathologies were shared, which indicates that they probably were blood relations,” McGauran says.

“What's really interesting about Hegra is that it has this really high concentration of tomb inscriptions, which you don't find really anywhere else in the Nabataean kingdom. And they indicate that women were able to commission tombs as well as men. They also support this idea that the tombs were very much built by relatively wealthy families and they would have been family-based.

“So we can start to understand quite a lot about how Nabataean society is structured around the family.”

Aside from the many monumental tombs, there are also thousands of smaller tombs in Hegra. AFP
Aside from the many monumental tombs, there are also thousands of smaller tombs in Hegra. AFP

The findings at Hegra indicate that there was a hereditary system of rulership in place, where kings often ruled alongside wives. Aside from the monumental tombs, there are thousands of smaller tombs, such as pit tombs, spread across the outcrops.

“And we certainly know that there were obviously wealthier members of society and not-so-wealthy members of society," McGauran says.

“So we know that there was definitely a stratification of society, but how that was particularly structured, there are lots of questions still about that.”

The region also features 50 pre-Nabataean inscriptions, cave drawings and water wells, which stand in testament to the Nabataeans’ remarkable architectural and hydraulic expertise.

Al-Khuraybah was the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, marked by graves, inscriptions and sculpted rocks. Reem Mohammed / The National
Al-Khuraybah was the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, marked by graves, inscriptions and sculpted rocks. Reem Mohammed / The National

“They were clearly very skilled craftsmen,” says McGauran. “There are all kinds of theories and discussions about whether some of the kinds of craftsmen and women who were working on the tombs in Petra may have also come to Hegra and vice versa.”

AlUla’s tradition of stone craftsmanship predates the Nabataeans, going back to the Dadanites and Lihyanites. The tombs themselves present a curious mix of localised and more generic Nabataean influences. They were carved from the top down, which removed the need for scaffolding.

The inscriptions themselves draw from a strikingly wide range of decorative and architectural influences including Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician and Hellenistic.

They indicate the epigraphic presence of multiple ancient languages: Lihyanite, Thamudic, Nabataean, Greek and Latin. These speak to AlUla’s role along the historic Incense Road.

The tombs at Hegra are adorned with imagery from various cultures, including Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia and beyond. AFP
The tombs at Hegra are adorned with imagery from various cultures, including Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia and beyond. AFP

“There’s also this idea that the Incense Road was not just about trading goods, but also about the movement of ideas and people.”

Among the diverse iconographic features are Medusa heads, Roman eagles and sphinxes, which represent the cultures and religious structures the Nabataeans were coming in contact with.

“We know that the Nabataeans were worshipping a pantheon of gods that very often had equivalents within ancient Rome, ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and so on.”

This dynamic mix of cultural and civilisational influences was the result of AlUla’s historic role as a trade hub – a place where valuable commodities such as incense, spices and luxury goods passed through.

By the 1st century BC, Hegra had overtaken the nearby site of Dadan as the main rest stop along the trade routes linking southern Arabia to Egypt and the Mediterranean.

The Lihyanite 'Monumental Statue', found in Dadan, weighs more than a tonne and is 2.2 metres tall. Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla
The Lihyanite 'Monumental Statue', found in Dadan, weighs more than a tonne and is 2.2 metres tall. Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla

Hegra was the southernmost point that the Romans reached, when they conquered the Nabataean kingdom in 106.

"The Romans established some outposts and a garrison, but I think what's really interesting is that they didn't, as far as we know, take over the city," McGauran says.

“The main reason that that happened was because of this wanting to preserve the trade routes. Understanding AlUla as being at the heart of the Incense Road, and the heart of this network of routes that connected cultures and civilisations, is something that we really are keen to get across."

Earlier this year, the commission announced a new museum about the incense road – which is set to become the world’s first institution dedicated to the ancient network of land and sea trading routes. It aims to celebrate AlUla’s 7,000 years of human history, as well as its ancient role as a place of cultural and material exchange, bridging multiple civilisations.

Speaking to The National at the time, McGauran said: “A museum for the 21st century, it will be a dynamic forum of exhibition, learning and recreation, that celebrates AlUla's legacy at the centre of the incense road story.

"This vital oasis was at the heart of a thriving network of routes that once connected the ancient world, from southern Arabia north to Egypt, Rome, the Levant, Mesopotamia and beyond."

The people of AlUla have always had a remarkable ability to exploit the oasis's water resources. Photo: Gilles Bensimon
The people of AlUla have always had a remarkable ability to exploit the oasis's water resources. Photo: Gilles Bensimon

Another key aspect of AlUla’s historic growth is its geographic position as an oasis town, and the locals’ remarkable ability to capitalise on their natural resources. Hegra has more than 130 wells and evidence of water channels and reservoirs cut into the rocks, which possibly date back to the Dadanite period.

“Although it looks relatively arid, there is quite a high water table. The Nabataeans and the Dadanites before were able to really harness and innovate the use of water, so it became an area that could have a thriving community rather than just surviving in the desert.”

The region was also home to a large volume of artificial wells in rocky ground – which are still in use to this day.

In September, AlUla will host a global archaeology summit. Photo: Film AlUla
In September, AlUla will host a global archaeology summit. Photo: Film AlUla

McGauran says the continuing discoveries at AlUla represent a “sea change and recalibration of how we see Arabian archaeology”.

Today, she adds, archaeologists are exploring how “these Arabian societies that were very much active agents were controlling these things”.

“They weren't just passive recipients of other cultures. This was a place that was itself an absolute hotbed of creativity and cultures coming together," she says. "And this is a really unique opportunity, being right at the centre point of these networks and relationships.”

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199

 

 

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The biog

Age: 35

Inspiration: Wife and kids 

Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman

Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia 

Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track

Profile of VoucherSkout

Date of launch: November 2016

Founder: David Tobias

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers

Sector: Technology

Size: 18 employees

Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake

Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars” 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

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Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Race results:

1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min

2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec

3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec

360Vuz PROFILE

Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah 
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology 
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million 
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin

TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
%3Cp%3E1.%20Bhiwadi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ghaziabad%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Hotan%2C%20China%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Delhi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Jaunpur%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Faisalabad%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20Noida%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Bahawalpur%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Peshawar%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Bagpat%2C%20India%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20IQAir%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Updated: August 31, 2023, 4:11 AM`