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Mount Athleb is located in the northern part of Bint (Girl) Castle. This collection is locally called “Al-Athaleth Mountain”. This mountain contains the following:

Adiwan - It is a large diwan engraved in the rocks. Local people call it Yuan Abu Zeid and some of them call it “Sultan’s Majlis”. They are local names related to some myths and stories narrated in the area and not based upon scientific facts. The diwan is one of the wonderful features in Madain Saleh and considered by many archaeologists as the main place of worship in the region because of the presence of many temples and religious signs in the area. The narrow corridor adjacent to the diwan is one of the rock wonderlands where this temple is located. Inside Adiwan to the left, there is water reservoir for collecting rainwater through a water conduit carved in the gullies and the surrounding hills.

Area A Tombs - This range of mountains is located to the north of Bint (Girl) Castle. It has no specific name. It is composed of three mountains including 14 graves. The first mountain lies to the left side from the castle heading to the North. It has six graves at close spaces starting from southern side of the mountain. They have different forms and sizes. The second mountain lies to the east of the mountain and separates from the first one by road that links Diwan area to Hejaz Railway Station to the Islamic Castle north of the monumental area. This mountain includes five graves, three of them situated to the west of the mountain, one to the south and the fifth is facing eastward. The third mountain is located to the east of the second mountain. It contains three graves and effects of cutting stones for building, which indicates that the site had been use as a quarry.

Nabataean Well – It is located behind the mountain of Area A Tombs on the way to the Islamic Castle and Hejaz Railway Station. It is engrave in the sandy rocks at a depth of 30 meters and fed by a canal carved in stone, which flows unto it during rainfall. Until recently, neighboring farms irrigated from this well by the machines. It ceased to be use only after the deportation of the local population to their new farms in north. There are also other wells in Madain Saleh distributed to the old monumental area, some of them still visible and some is compacted.

Al-Fareed (Unique) Palace - This grave is located in the southern part of the monumental area. It is a large grave occupying a large and distinctive single rock. It is named Al-Fareed Palace because it is engraved in a single rock and for the architectural element that is not available in any other façade i.e. two Nabataeans columns in the middle of the façade of the northern rock in addition to the lateral columns. What distinguishes this grave from the other is that it is located in a sole independent rock.

Area C Tomb - This is cares is located almost at the centre of Madain Saleh, southwest of the Girl's Castle. It consists of two blocs of rock, the first is large and contains 18 tombs, the other is a small one containing only one grave and it is different in terms of artistic and creative standards. From inside, all of them contain tombs sculptured in their interior walls or etched their burial ground.

Al-Sane’a Palace - It is located at the beginning of and the southern part of the fenced monumental area near the main gate. It consists of two small hills to the right and left upon entering. The graveyard to the left of the visitor is called Al-Sane’a Tomb by the local people, which has no scientific basis. It is rather link to the story of Bint Castle. It is one of the archaeological sites visited by tourists when visiting Madain Saleh.

Khuraimat Area - This group of tombs is located in the western part of the monumental areas after Sane’ Palace northwards. It is the second group of tombs experienced by tourists at the entrance of the monumental area. The number of graves in this area is 53, distributed to a range of small mountains. The facades there are different in terms of arts, sculpture, architecture and decoration. Because of the nature of sandy rocks, erosion factors such as wind and rain it affects some facades and graves of this group.

Salemeh - Salemeh group of tombs is located almost in the center of monumental area. It is almost without facades or any architectural arts. This suggests that it was for poor people. It can be access after visiting Khuraimat area.

Al-Jouz (Old Woman) Palace - This group of tombs lies southwest of the Bint Castle in an independent rocky mass. It is similar in concept to Adiwan Palace as it contains a wide-open hole to the north within which certain niches or sculptured holes. We have no information on the meaning of the name.

Marbat Al-Faras - It is a natural rock underneath of the erosion factors formed a shape of a tree composing almost a rocky leg because of drills below it. It is located in the center of the fenced area and it is has a wonderful form.

Hejaz Railway Station - Hejaz Railway Station is located in the northern part of the fenced monumental area. It was key major station of Hejaz Railway built by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the last of the Ottoman caliphs. This railway extends from Istanbul, Turkey to Madinah. The approximate age of the station is more than 100 years. It has many buildings including service building, locomotives repair facilities, military housing, warehouses, WC’s and water tank near Islamic Castle, post offices and wire telephone service. There are some stalled vehicles and full steam engine inside the station.

Islamic Castle - It is located in the northern part of the fenced monumental area. It is one of the castles built on the pilgrimage and mail road in the era of the Abbasids. Their ages estimated are more than 700 years old. It has nothing to do with the monuments existing in Al-Hijr. Inside, there is mosque, small rooms for housing and beacons for the control, observation and guarding. At the vicinity of the castle, a well can be access from within by castle through a vault linking the outside well going inside. There is also a large pool for the storage of water and pilgrims use to drink beside it.

Mount Huwara - Mount Huwara is located in Madain Saleh outside the fenced area. This mountain can be seen from anywhere in Madain Saleh because it is unique and very high. It is located to the left of the paved road leading to Shalal Village to the north. It can be reach by tourist regular cars. It is a wonderful place to spend time at the shadow of the mountain, which is similar to magnificent skyscrapers. It is believed that this name took from the dialogue of the Prophet Saleh’s She-Camel when it was killed by the wicked people near this mountain and rose above it -- and Allah knows well.


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Madain Saleh (Al-Hijr) dates back to the Nabataeans Civilization considered as one of the very important archaeological site in Saudi Arabia that is called “The Capital of the Monuments” as it contains huge amount of diverse and multifaceted monuments.
Al-Ula is located in the northwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the line of 37, 55, 58 longitude and 26, 29, 36 latitude. It is 290 km. from Madinah to the south of Al Ula - Shajwa road. There is another 370 km. road linking Al-Ula to Madinah i.e. Madinah.
 
 
 
Al-Ula
by: Admin
 
Al-Ula
by: Jerico Mariano
4/5/2009
 
 

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