Get spellbound The incredible natural rock and geographical formations of AlUla

The deserts of AlUla continue to astound visitors with a variety of striking rock and topographical formations, including Elephant Rock, Fish Rock, Face Rock, Volcanoes, and Lava Flows.

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AlUla, in northwest Saudi Arabia, is a city with a remarkable natural and human heritage and is about 1,100 km from Riyadh. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains, and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.

The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and comprises 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Romans conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. Also AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, and Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.

AlUla is home to a wide range of flora, fauna, and human communities for thousands of years. Centered around its famed oasis and framed by sandstone mountains, AlUla’s geography, environment, and climate have enabled human communities to flourish here.