History
AlUla is an ancient oasis where you can experience more than 200,000 years of largely unexplored human history and civilisations dating back more than 7000 years with every step.
In the ruins of the ancient city of Dadan, you can see the startling reminders of a sophisticated society. Seated lion sculptures symbolising power and protection stand guard at what some believe is the burial place of an elite member of its society, perhaps even royalty, and give the site its name: the Lion Tombs.
The Nabataean Kingdom’s city of Hegra is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to more than 110 well-preserved tombs that stand proudly today, a necropolis surrounding a city that once thrived. Astonishing Jabal Ikmah, the open-air library offers hundreds of petroglyphs and inscriptions that rise the steep canyon walls, telling the stories of ancient travellers as they stopped in AlUla for rest, respite and the exchange of goods, ideas and language.
AlUla Old Town, an atmospheric labyrinth of intriguing laneways filled with what would have been homes, shops, and cafes where, for centuries, pilgrims, travellers and permanent settles congregated through the ages.
These are just a few of the key highlights of the heritage that abound in AlUla. Heritage is the foundation of everything in AlUla. It’s in the mountains surrounding her, the sand drifting along the desert plains, and above all, in her people, who hold her history in their hearts.
Explore AlUla's rich history
Rewriting The History Of AlUla
AlUla is a land steeped in the history of long-forgotten peoples, and is finally giving up its secrets so their stories can be told.
Powerful Women Of Ancient Arabia
The Nabataeans were among the last pre-Islamic civilisations to leave their mark on the oasis valley of AlUla.
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