Hegra

Author: Laxman Burdak, IFS (R).

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Saudi Arabia Map

Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia. Hegra is mentioned by Pliny.

Variants

• Hegra (Pliny.vi.32)
• Ancient Greek: Ἕγρα),
• known to Muslims as Al-Hijr (Arabic: ٱلْحِجْر),
• also known as Mada’in Salih (Arabic: مَدَائِن صَالِح,
• romanized: madāʼin Ṣāliḥ, lit. 'Cities of Salih'

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Hega = Hegra (Pliny.vi.32)

Location

The archaeological site of Hegra is situated 20 km north of the town of Al-'Ula, 400 km north-west of Medina, and 500 km south-east of Petra, Jordan. Al-Istakhri wrote in "Al-Masalik":

Al-Hijr is a small village. It belongs to Wadi al Gura and is located at one day's travel inside the mountains. It was the homeland of the Thamudians. I have seen those mountains and their carvings. Their houses are similar to ours but are carved in the mountains, which are called the Ithlib mountains. It looks as if they are a continuous range but they are separated and have sand dunes around them. You can reach the top of the mountains, but this is extremely tiring. The well of the Thamudians which is mentioned in the Holy Quran is located in the middle of the mountains. — Al-Istakhri.

The site is on a plain, at the foot of a basalt plateau, which forms a portion of the Hijaz mountains. Beneath the western and north-western parts of the site, the water table can be reached at a depth of 20 metres. The setting is notable for its desert landscape, marked by sandstone outcroppings of various sizes and heights.

Name

Its long history and the multitude of cultures occupying the site have produced several names. References by Strabo and other Mediterranean writers use the name Hegra (Ancient Greek: Ἔγρα) for the Nabatean site. The use of Mada'in Salih refers to the (Prophet) Salih, sent to Ancient Arabs, a name and identity which may be derived from the Biblical Figure Methuselah (Hebrew: מְתוּשֶׁלַח Məṯūšélaḥ, in pausa מְתוּשָׁלַח‎ Məṯūšālaḥ "Man of the javelin" or "Death of Sword"; Greek: Μαθουσάλας Mathousalas).

History

Madā'in Ṣāliḥ is considered to be one of the most important and oldest ancient cities in the country. Madā'in Ṣāliḥ lies to the northwest of the city of Al-'Ula, in a strategic position on one of the most important ancient trade routes, which linked the south of the Arabian peninsula to the north, as well as to the great economic and cultural centres of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. It was the second-largest city in the kingdom of the Nabateans. The Nabateans were a group of Arab tribes whose economy was based on pastoralism, and over time they settled, created and developed several cities and become traders. The Nabataeans occupied a territory in the south of the area of Ash-Shām where they founded the Nabataeans; their capital was Petra in Jordan, which was chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Their language was a form of old northern Arabic. The landscape of Madā'in Ṣāliḥ is characterized by impressive rock formations, sandstone hills of varied colours, from red to yellow and white.

A majority of the remains date from the Nabataean Kingdom (1st century AD). The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and second largest city after Petra (now in Jordan), its capital city. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.

The Quran places the settlement of the area by the Thamudi people during the days of Salih, between those of Nuh (Noah) and Hud on one hand, and those of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) on the other. According to the Islamic text, the Thamudis were punished by God for their idolatry, struck by an earthquake and lightning blasts. Thus, the site has earned a reputation as a cursed place—an image which the national government is attempting to overcome as it seeks to develop Mada'in Salih for its potential for tourism.

In 2008, UNESCO proclaimed Mada'in Salih as a site of patrimony, becoming Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site. It was chosen for its well-preserved remains from late antiquity, especially the 131 monumental rock-cut tombs, with their elaborately ornamented façades, of the Nabataean Kingdom.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Arabia....Next come the Hemnatæ, the Aualitæ, the towns of Domata and Hegra, the Tamudæi⁴⁹, with the town of Badanatha, the Carrei, with the town of Cariati⁵⁰, the Achoali, with the town of Foth, and the Minæi, who derive their origin, it is supposed,⁵¹ from Minos, king of Crete, and of whom the Carmæi are a tribe.

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9 Their district is still called Thamud, according to Ansart.

50 Still called Cariatain, according to Ansart.

51 A ridiculous fancy, probably founded solely on the similarity of the name.

References

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