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The Nabatean tombs of Madahine-Saleh

 
 

Our expert Saudi Arabia

The Nabatean tombs of Madahine-Saleh

The Nabatean tombs of Madahine-Saleh The Nabatean tombs of Madahine-Saleh © T. Mauger-Explorer

In the desert, between Jordan and Iraq, the ancient Nabataean city of Madahine-Saleh is the most interesting archaeological site in the country. In the Hellenistic era, a tribe of Arab nomads, originally from Northern Arabia, traded incense and spices from what is now the Yemen, to take them to the Mediterranean. They dug magnificent monumental facades for their tombs out of the rock in Petra, their capital in Jordan, and on the site of Madahine-Saleh. The Nabataean site is, however, less spectacular than that of Petra, but the tombs, constructed between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, are better preserved. The visit necessitates a vehicle, as the distances between remains are considerable. You should not miss Qasr Farid, the most important tomb, and the Diwan, the meeting room.

Monuments

Other reasons to go

  1.   Landscapes

  2.   Towns