Madaen Saleh

i copied this from another forum, its very intersting sites in Saudi Arabia

LOCAITON
Northern Saudi Arabia

Since Saudi Arabia don�t issue Tourist VISA enjoy the free tour .

Madain Saleh.

Madain Saleh is older then its northern sister Petra in Jordan yet Madain
Saleh went through more historical events since it was destroyed by one of
Gods miracle. I think they have to add this location as one of the Worlds wonders.

THE STORY OF THAMUD PROPHET SALEH
(peace be upon Him)

Saleh was born in the ninth generation from Nuh. He was appointed prophet
for the Thamud people who inhabited the moutanous territory between Hejaz
and Palestine. They built their homes by hewing the rocky faces of cliffs.

They lived long lives and worshiped gods made from stone. They refused to
listen to the wisdom of Saleh and challenged him to show them any sign to
prove that an invisible God existed.

They demanded a miracle at their annual festival. They told Saleh: "You pray
to your God and we will pray to ours. Let us see whose prayer is accepted,
yours or ours. That will decide the matter between us.

They came in drones from around the land and gathered around their
decorated stone gods and brought offerings for fulfilments of their prayers.
Clearly the stone gods were unable to respond to their prayers. They then
turned to Saleh and one of them asked him to pray to his God and to bring
out a pregnant camel from the large boulder that was lying on the ground,
and if this she-camel had an off-spring bom in front of their eyes, they would
accept Saleh's God as theirs as well.

Saleh prayed to The Almighty Allah and sure enough a pregnant she-camel
rose out of the large boulder and gave birth to a calf as they watched. They
were clearly struck with wonder on this miracle.

In accordance with Allah's Command, Saleh told the people that they must
share their drink with the camel. It was agreed that the people would use the
water from the village well on all days of the week except one day which was
reserved for the camel and her baby. But they were a disobedient people.

They refused the animals to drink or graze freely in the territory as agreed,
and forced Saleh to assume their full responsibility. Saleh told them
that the camel and her baby were there because they had asked for the
miracle, and they must take care of the animals. They threatened to kill the
two animals. He then reminded them of the benevolence of Allah that only
He could bestow over His creation without asking for it, namely water, rain,
fertility of the land where crops grow, the stone cliffs where they built their
homes, and the clean air that they breathed. They must refrain from their
threatened acts otherwise they would bring down a disaster over
themselves.

One day the people carried out their threat and slew both the mother and her
baby camel. This invited Allah's immediate wrath.

Allah instructed Saleh to leave the territory along with his family and a small
group of true believers before His wrath would strike that insolent people. No
sooner the pious group of believers had crossed over the last of the cliffs,
than a tremendous earth quake -shook the land with a blinding lightning and
an ear shattering thunder. The entire people in that territory perished along
with their false gods.

The stories mentioned in the Holy Quran in those versus:

Araf, Lut, Ibrahim, Hajar, Furqan, Nahl, Ankabooi, Ha-Meem Sajdah, Zariyat,
Qamar, al-Haqah, Fajar, Shams.


The Napatean and Thamud tombs

The people of Nabatean civilization in AL-Hijr were interested in the outside
tomb shape more than the inside . Inside , it was a normal room with tombs in
its ground and walls to keep their deads. the tombs fronts gave an idea
about the technical effects which were imported by AL-Hifr people from the
countries they traded with.





Qasr AL- Fareed


Qaser AL-Bint


Qaser Al-sani



Tombs


The front of a tomb








Two examples to Nabatean tombs entrances



AL Diwan

It is a Nabatean rectangular and irregular temple engraved inside the rock . It
was used in religious liturgy .





Inside taomb



Lion tombs:

These tombs are known like these because of the creatures on top of them .
There are twenty one tombs.







The Nabatean ornaments of tombs.

Actually they do issue Tourist visas.

   The only disadvantage is that you will arrange with a travel agency or a tourist company your trip and you will probably stick with them.

    Some people like to be guided and instructed, i prefer the other way around where you are left alone to adventure as you like and to experiene whatever you face.