Located in the Hejaz, the ancient city of AlUla dates back millennia with blooming civilizations and several cultural and heritage treasures.
AlUla is a destination of global significance with 200,000 years of human history and culture at the crossroads of ancient civilizations.
After years of being closed to outsiders, AlUla starts to reveal its secrets and outstanding cultural heritage. The ancient desert oasis officially opened to international travelers full-time in 2020.
Interestingly, Saudi Arabia is now welcoming tourists with open arms and an eVisa process that only takes five minutes.
Today, AlUla courageously unfolds a new chapter strongly determined to unveil a long heritage of mysterious secrets.
Hegra: Saudi Arabia’s First UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Hegra Archaeological Site marks the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia. The site stands as the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan.
Covering 52 hectares with 131 spectacular tombs and numerous rock formations, the site represents a quintessential destination for nature lovers and eco-tourism enthusiasts.
Tourists have an exclusive opportunity to hop on a horse and marvel at the picturesque evening skies of Hegra. Even more excellent, if they have a look at the charming inscriptions and cave drawings of the pre-Nabataean period.
Maraya: World’s Largest Mirrored Building
To squeeze more joy out of an ecstatic journey at AlUla, visitors can have a look at Maraya, the largest mirror-covered building in the world.
Maraya contains a total of 9740 square metres of mirrors reflecting the vast and breathtaking desert surroundings of AlUla.
Maraya hosted many international performers, including Alicia Keys, Lionel Ritchie, John Legend, Usher, OneRepublic, Andrea Bocelli, Seal, Westlife. Many artists from the Arab world have also performed at Maraya, such as Egyptian musician Omar Khairait, Iraqi singer and composer Kadim Al Sahir, Egyptian singer Angham, and many more.
Elephant Rock (Jabal Al-Fil)
Resembling an elephant with a ground-bound trunk, tourists can enjoy the awe-inspiring view of AlUla’s iconic landmark, Elephant Rock.
Soaring 52m into the sky, Jabal Al-Fil was shaped by wind and water erosion over millions of years.
The sunset perfectly portrays a charming view when the colors of the rock change dramatically and the enormous elephant becomes more marvelous in the warm lights that have been installed at the site.
AlUla Old Town
The ancient town bears a testimony to AlUla’s rich and momentous history.
With 900 homes, 500 shops, and 5 public squares, the town demonstrates the magnificent Saudi architecture.
The town was normally inhabited for more than 800 years until the 1980s, when the government decided to relocate its residents to nearby sites to preserve the cultural town as an open-air museum.
Dar Tantora
Saudi Arabia intended to connect AlUla’s visitors to the vibrant history and culture of the old city. Therefore, the Kingdom has established a breathtaking hotel, Dar Tantora, that captured the attention of several tourists around the world. Now, AlUla opens the hotel for all visitors after resuming all operational plans and developments.
The masterpiece hotel stands as a testament to AlUla’s commitment to present seamless competitive tourist experiences.
Dar Tantora provides numerous experiences to diversify tourists’ journeys, as follows:
- Dinner under the stars
- Discovering the magnificent canyons
- Heritage Oasis walk
- Old Town tours
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