CULTURE


mudbrick walls and tightly turning casbah corridors, AlUla’s labyrinthine old town blends into the piling sands that surround the site. A once-thriving settlement on an incense-trading route, these walls have stood for a almost a millennium. Enter the archaeological site a short distance from Hegra to see the remnants of the castle and clock tower and envision the civilizations that once mingled on these slim streets.


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seven wonders of the world, Jordan’s Petra, Hegra was also constructed by the Nabataeans. Ruling a kingdom that spanned from the Euphrates to the Red Sea, the Nabataeans carved elaborately adorned cities from the red rocks that distinguish the desert landscape. Like Petra, Hegra is a metropolis turned necropolis. The city was left undisturbed for almost 2,000 years, finally opening to tourists in 2020. Explore the cavernous tombs and ancient etchings.


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the main sites at AlUla, the spectacular ruined city of Khaybar was hewn from volcanic rocks forged from lava, its walls standing long after being abandoned. Prior to the advent of Islam in the seventh century, the city was inhabited by Jewish Arab tribes. Though they were expelled as Islam spread across the peninsula, there are records of Jews seeking safe haven in Khaybar as late as the 12th century.


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KHAYBAR A short distance from


HEGRA Sister city to one of the new


ALULA OLD TOWN Characterized by red


THREE MORE TO DISCOVER


Diriyah Built within mudbrick battlements and imposing city walls, the old city of Diriyah (pictured above) dates back to A.D. 1446 and was the first seat of power of the Saudi royal family.


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Al Okhdood Trading hands between Byzantine, Umayyad, Abyssinian and Abbasid kings, Al-Okhdood has been historically significant for millennia. See what remains of the 2,000-year-old city.


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Al Azlam Stone archways still guide the way into Al Azlam fort, a Hajj station primarily utilized by the Mamluks and the Ottoman Turks since the 1300s. A crucial rest point for pilgrims facing the scorching Saudi sun, exploring its citadel and airy courtyard offers insight into the lives of centuries of fellow travelers.


FALL 2023 • 23


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