Mada'in Saleh, known archaeologically as Hegra, preserves more than a hundred monumental tombs carved directly into sandstone outcrops by the Nabataeans — the same civilisation that built Petra.
Facades with stepped crowns, inscriptions and carved details stand across an open desert landscape, alongside wells, rock art and the remains of the settlement that served the caravan trade.
In 2008 it became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and careful conservation has since opened it to visitors.
