MADAIN SALEH: There is truth in the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But words and photographs cannot fully convey the beauty and essence of a historic place. A group of Italian tourists to the ancient Nabataean town of Madain Saleh found this to be true.
The Italian enthusiasts were awe-struck to find themselves in the midst of the ancient city, astounded by the splendor and charm of its valleys surrounded by the stunning shapes of various geological formations.
The Italians are one of many groups of Western tourists who visit Madain Saleh every year. “More than 75,000 tourists visited the place last year. They included Americans, Europeans and Japanese. They were very happy and excited seeing this archaeological treasure,” said archaeologist Mutlaq Suleiman Al-Mutlaq, director of the Al-Ula Museum.
Speaking to Arab News from his office in Al-Ula, Al-Mutlaq said the number of people visiting Madain Saleh was increasing every year. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has taken steps to develop the area since UNESCO declared Madain Saleh a World Heritage Site last year.
Al-Mutlaq said the opening of Prince Abdul Majeed Airport in Al-Ula next year would further increase the number of tourists, especially from foreign countries. He said Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed visited the airport recently to inspect the progress of work. Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of SCTA, is also a regular visitor to the area which is one of the Kingdom’s major tourist attractions.
Madain Saleh, located about 400 km north of Madinah, contains a collection of 94 tombs with decorated facades, 35 funerary chambers and more than 1,000 nonmonumental graves and stone-lined tombs. According to archaeologists, the Nabataens were expert hydraulic engineers and their skills in constructing wells, cisterns — runnels and aqueducts helped them to develop advanced agriculture.
Tiziana Soldati, the leader of the Italian team, said her group was really impressed by the archaeological sites of Madain Saleh. “We have visited so many countries but have never seen such an astonishing archaeological treasure,” Soldati told Arab News. The team also visited Riyadh, Abha, Najran and Tabuk before going to Al-Ula. They will fly back to Italy from Jeddah.
Being first-time visitors, the Italians were impressed by the Kingdom, especially the tremendous development achieved by the country without losing its culture and traditions. Soldati said she would organize more tours to the Kingdom. She said she was happy with the new development projects that had been carried out in Madain Saleh, including the renovation of the Hejaz Railway station.
Ibrahim Alfozan, a licensed Saudi tour guide, provided assistance to the Italians. He said, “These days I am very busy receiving foreign tourists. I have already received seven groups and we expect some 25 groups this season,” he said. Alfozan’s guests included tourists from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Japan and the United States. The Italian group included retired doctors, engineers and academics.
