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CNN
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In one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, there is a monument carved into sandstone, surrounded by date farms and dusty two-lane roads.
This is Hegra.
Also known as al-Hijr or Mada’in Saleh, Hegra is the crown jewel of Saudi Arabia’s archaeological attractions and was the first place in the country inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Built between the first century BCE and the first century CE, this ancient city includes an impressive necropolis, with tombs carved into sandstone set against the sweeping desert landscape of northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Petra, the famous site in Jordan, was the capital of the Nabatean people, while Hegra was the kingdom’s southern outpost until it was abandoned in the 12th century.
But while Petra is one of the seven wonders of the modern world and welcomed more than one million visitors per year before the pandemic, Hegra has only been accessible for most international visitors since 2019, when Saudi Arabia first began issuing tourist visas.
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