Fascinating Saudi Arabia

This morning we visit the magnificent tombs of the Nabataeans in Madain Saleh. Just before the start of the common era, the Nabataeans expanded their trade routes from Petra in present-day Jordan. In Hegra—another name for Madain Saleh—they also carved tombs with beautiful facades. From the visitor center, we take a bus to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site can only be visited with pre-booked tickets; there are no ticket sales at the tombs. The bus enters through the south gate and stops at a parking area. Asad welcomes everyone in fluent English. He explains that we’ll be visiting four locations during the tour. We can walk to the first and most impressive tomb: the Tomb of Al-Farid. The morning sun shines directly from behind the rock from which the 21-meter-tall facade is carved. We continue by bus to the tombs of Qsar Al-Bint, where several graves lie in a row. In total, over 100 graves have been uncovered in this area. It's amazing to see the precision with which the tomb facades were made.