![]() Set in the middle of sand dunes, the idea is to ensure the building blends beautifully into its surroundings - reflecting the numerous glowing red canyons during the golden hour. It gives you a bird’s eye view of AlUla’s many breathtaking monuments - one of my personal favourites being the Maraya. Covered entirely in mirrors, Maraya is a concert hall and also houses an exclusive restaurant by Michelin Star chef Jason Atherton. While the view from both is pretty similar, the thrill of the helicopter ride is unparalleled. These are a part of the AlUla Skies Festival, the first edition of which was held in 2020. However, the hazy charm of the hot air balloons is in stark contrast to the thrill of being inside a helicopter as it zooms past the ancient city’s sand dunes. Take your eyes away from the burial tombs, and you’ll find several colourful hot air balloons lazily drifting along the skies of AlUla. The first rays of the Sun glisten over the tombs of Hegra, making them look mystical. The dusty site looks even more mesmerising from 3,000 ft above the ground, as you float over it in a hot air balloon. ![]() In the rocky outcrops across the city, you will also find yourself searching for stories and characters - I came across a face, a bowling pin and a falcon. ![]() The most iconic of the tombs is the Tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza, it stands tall in all its glory. As you drive around Hegra with your ‘Ravi’, a local guide, one can’t help but admire the towering façades decorated with stairways to heaven and a few takeaways from Greek and Roman architecture. Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, it happens to be one of the few remaining pieces of history belonging to the Nabataeans, the same kingdom known to have built Jordan’s prized possession, Petra. While the skies and the picturesque sunrise and sunsets in AlUla are breathtaking, the star attraction of the new tourist hotspot is Hegra or Madain Saleh - a collection of 110 majestic tombs carved into the malleable sandstone rising from the desert. The city, blessed with fertile soils and an oasis of natural springs, was an essential stop along ancient intercontinental incense and spice-trading routes, and home to the Lihyan and Nabatean kingdoms. It holds the remnants of the desert kingdom’s past and merges them seamlessly with modern luxuries. You’ll find these sandstones all across the city of AlUla, a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Saudi Arabia. We have not only used the stars to find the way but they have also been a part of our stories and poetry,” the guide explains, as we immerse ourselves in the stargazing experience at Al Gharameel, surrounded by sandstones ravaged by time. ![]() “For centuries, our ancestor’s ceiling was their guiding light. In ancient Arabic astronomy, the stars in the handle of the Big Dipper represented mourning and vengeful daughters and the bowl of the constellation represented the coffin of a father, who was killed by ‘Al Jadi’ (Polaris or North Star). This is the story of the Big Dipper or ‘Alkaid’ in Arabic. Our guide for the night points a laser skyward and narrates the story of two daughters protecting their father’s coffin. These new tours will start in July, operate twice a day during July and August, and increase from September.Wind gushing past my face, I lay on cushions and carpets embroidered with Persian motifs, strewn across the vast desert land. Sit back and relax while your pilot guides you over the land to identify the old and the new developments. Fly over the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, and take photos of the famous sandstone tombs. Be awed by the bird’s eye view of iconic landmarks such as Elephant Rock, Maraya, and AlUla Old Town. Now open as a year-round visitor destination, visitors have a great opportunity to explore this old land and embark on a new journey through the vast desert and cool oasis, to discover mysteries and uncover ancient truths of ancient societies and cultures.Įxperience the breathtaking views of AlUla’s stunning desert vistas and landscapes from the sky. The cultural exchanges are still visible via the earliest form of graffiti or social media etched into the rock faces and sculpted into the sandstone mountains. While the people are long gone, the conversations remain. ![]() They not only brought goods to trade but also ideas about art, architecture, agriculture, religion. The tourists came from near and far, India, Ceylon, South East-Asia, Mesopotamia, Greece, Egypt, Italy. In the heat of summer, AlUla’s oasis offered a cool respite from the arid desert, plentiful water, food, and also trade for those bringing incense, textiles, jewels, aromatics, and spices. For several kingdoms and peoples over many thousands of years, AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offered much appeal as a place to foster a prosperous, culturally enriched life.Īs attractive as the region was for homemakers, AlUla was just as popular for tourists. ![]()
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