The Old Town is an archaeological site near
Al-'Ula
Al-'Ula ( ar, ٱلْعُلَا '), is a city of the Medina Region in north-western Saudi Arabia. Historically located on the incense route, the city lies within the Governorate of 'Ula ( ar, مُحَافَظَة ٱلْعُلَا, Muḥāfathat A ...
,
Medina Province,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. It is known as the ''deira'' (the town). Inside the town, there are ancient heritage buildings,
mosques
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...
and
markets
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
* Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
* Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, a ...
, dating back to about seven centuries. This town is 22 km away from
Mada'in Saleh
Hegra ( grc, Ἕγρα), known to Muslims as Al-Hijr (), also known as Mada’in Salih ( ar, مَدَائِن صَالِح, madāʼin Ṣāliḥ, lit=Cities of Salih), is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Provin ...
. The heritage town looks like a single building due to the crowding of its 870 residential units. These units are separated by narrow and winding alleys. The town is divided into two districts: Al-Shugaig in the north and Al-Haf in the south.
[ "France to help build a 'new Petra' in Saudi Arabia with estimated $20bn development deal". www.theartnewspaper.com.]
Remaining monuments (archeological sites)
*Mousa Bin Nusayr castle.
*Tantora which was a guide for farmers to know the growing seasons and the timing of water distribution.
*The sundial clock in the south of the town.
See also
*
Sarat Mountains
*
Winter at Tantora Festival
The Winter at Tantora Festival is an annual cultural festival held in the old town of Al-'Ula, Medina, located in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The first festival began on 21 December 2018, and was running a series of eight-weekend concerts for wor ...
References
{{Reflist
Archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia
History of the Arabian Peninsula
Medina Province (Saudi Arabia)
Oases of Saudi Arabia