In addition to Saudi Arabia being largely closed off to outsiders for centuries, parts of AlUla remained off-limits to all Muslims – including those in Saudi Arabia – until recent years because of a belief that it was "cursed" by the Prophet Muhammad and therefore "haunted".
The area is also known for its striking landscape of rocks, canyons, and wadis, and the contrast between these dry surroundings and the lush, palm-filled oases near the city's centre. The oasis of al-'Ulā was once a key stop on the Hejaz Railway, linking Damascus to Medina.
???? PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WARNED US NOT TO GO HERE ???? Al Ula, in Saudi Arabia, was once home to the Thamud people, guided by Prophet Saleh (AS). After they challenged him and killed a miraculous camel, Allah sent an earthquake that destroyed them.
The people of AlUla have a rich ancestry and are resilient, self-sufficient and, of course, they love welcoming guests,” says Ahmed Alimam, the first rawi )traditional Arabic storyteller) of AlUla. The families who live here have records tracing their lineage over 600 years.
The area of al-Hijr is now known as 'Mada'in Salih' (The Cities of the Prophet Salih), leading a great deal of Muslims to think that the destroyed people of Thamud, to whom the Prophet Salih was sent, were the Nabatean people...and hence the claim that visiting Petra (or 'Madi'in Salih) is not allowed (based on a ...
Is alcohol available in AlUla? The sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and it is illegal to bring alcohol or drugs into the country. Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit AlUla? Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details.
Al Ula is an ancient city that is located in the Hejaz region, which comprises of other cities including Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, Taif, Yanbu and Baljurashi.
According to Patko, there are fewer than 20 snake species known in AlUla, perhaps closer to 18.
The landscape we see in AlUla today was not carved by rivers. It was not covered by sea. The landscape we see today was slowly carved by wind and rain. 30 million years of erosion has slowly broken down that sandstone plateau into the stunning landscape we see around us.
The Discussion about Madain Saleh
In the early 1970s, an official fatwa from the Council of Senior Ulama (the highest religious body in the country), prohibited the visitation, development or excavation of the area of Hegra as it was believed to be a place of God's wrath against the people of the Prophet Saleh.
Emre Ali Demir
