al-Ula
Governorate of Medina Region, Saudi Arabia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Al-Ula (Arabic: ٱلْعُلَا, romanized: al-ʿUlā) is an ancient Arabic oasis city located in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia. Situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilizations, al-‘Ulā was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe.[1]
Al-Ula | |
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العلا | |
General information | |
Town or city | Medina Province |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Coordinates | 26°37′N 37°55′E |
Website | |
Official Website | |
Official name | Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | ii, iii |
Designated | 2008 (32th session) |
Reference no. | 1293 |
Region | the Arab States |
The immediate vicinity contains a unique concentration of precious artifacts, including well-preserved ancient stone inscriptions that illustrate the development of the Arabic language, and a concentration of rock dwellings and tombs that date from the Nabatean and Dedanite periods that coincided with Greco-Roman influence during classical antiquity. Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra (also known as Al-Hijr, or Mada'in Salih), is located 22 km (14 mi) north of the city, in Al-Ula governorate. Built more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans, Hegra is often compared with its sister city of Petra, in Jordan. Meanwhile, the ancient walled city of Al-Ula ("Old Town"), situated near the oasis that allowed for its settlement, contains a dense cluster of mud-brick and stone houses.[2] Al-Ula was also the capital of the ancient Lihyanites (Dedanites).
Today, the city of Al-Ula is within the Governorate of Al-Ula (Arabic: مُحَافَظَة ٱلْعُلَا, romanized: Muḥāfathat Al-ʿUlā), one of seven constituent counties of Medina province. The city is located 110 km (68 mi) southwest of Tayma and 300 km (190 mi) north of Medina.[3] The city (municipality) covers 2,391 square kilometres (923 sq mi),[4] and has a population of 40,760 (2022).[5][4] In addition to the ancient old town, a more recent historical city, displaying the settlement patterns of Arabic-Islamic urbanism, remains occupied and is currently experiencing a renaissance. 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.
Al-Ula was once a key stop on the Hejaz Railway, linking Damascus to Medina.