Madain Salih is an ancient city of the pre-Islamic period. It is located in northern Saudi Arabia, approximately 1,400 kilometers north of the capital, Riyadh. The lonely structure is in a strategic position on one of the most important ancient trade routes linking the south of the Arabian Peninsula to the north. This path served as a bridge between the economic and cultural centers of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt.
Madain Salih is considered one of the most important and most ancient cities in the country. It is the second largest city of the Nabatians, founded in the first century AD. e. Today it is an archaeologically significant site with magnificent ruins, somewhat similar to the more famous city of Petra. The most beautiful of these ruins and the most iconic symbol of Madin Salih is Qasr al-Farid. This four-storey castle rises near the center of the ancient Nabatian city of Hegra.
"Qasr al-Farid" literally translates as "lonely castle". This name speaks for itself, because the castle is truly isolated. But despite its fancy name, Qasr al-Farid is just a tomb. It was carved from solid rock in the first century AD, but the façade was never completed. Nowadays, many researchers, historians and archaeologists work here. It was possible to reliably establish that this tomb was carved from top to bottom. Qasr al-Farid is just one of over ninety such monumental structures carved here during the heyday of the Nabatians.
Other tombs of Madain Salih:
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