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