Old Town, Al-'Ula
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The Old Town is an archaeological site near al-‘Ulā, Medina Province,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. It is known as ''al-Dirah'' (). Inside al-Dīrah are ancient heritage buildings,
mosques A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...
(masjid), and markets, dating back about seven centuries, currently under restoration development. This town is away from
Hegra HEGRA, which stands for High-Energy-Gamma-Ray Astronomy, was an atmospheric Cherenkov effect, Cherenkov telescope for Gamma-ray astronomy. With its various types of detectors, HEGRA took data between 1987 and 2002, at which point it was dismantl ...
. 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-Shqīq in the north and al-Ḥilf in the south.Battesti, V., & Marty, L. (2023). Bedouins and Sedentaries today in al-‘Ulâ (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia): Al-diyâr and al-Dîra in the rear-view mirror. Arabian Humanities, 17. https://doi.org/10.4000/cy.10103


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


References

{{Reflist Archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia Medina Province (Saudi Arabia) Oases of Saudi Arabia