This is the third installment about our trip to Al Ula and Mada'in Saleh.
The first exhibit that we encountered as we entered the site was the display about the Hejaz railway, which ran from Damascus to Medina through the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
The Ottoman Turks wanted the line to be part of the Ottoman line that ran from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Damascus. The Sultan Abdul Hamid II, an Ottoman Turk, pushed for it to built with the help of a German engineer. He wanted it to connect Constantinople, the capitol of the Ottoman Empire, with Mecca, the holiest of shrines in Islam and the destination for annual pilgrimage of Muslims. He also wanted to economically integrate the Arab provinces with the Ottoman Empire and to transport military personnel quickly. Before the railroad, it was a 2 month trip by camel caravan between Constantinople and Mecca. The train would do it in less than 55 hours.
But the Emir of Mecca viewed the railway as a threat to Arab sovereignty since it provided the Ottomans with easy access to garrisons in the Hejaz . From the start, the railway was the target of attacks by local Arab tribes. Because locals pulled up the wooden railroad ties to fuel campfires, some sections were laid with iron railroad ties. The line was damaged repeatedly during the War World I, particularly by guerilla forces led by T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, during the Arab Revolt (seeking independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks). Lawrence was a British officer and explosives expert.
As an archeologist, he had learned the customs of the Arabs and there was mutual respect between them. He led attacks with Arab guerillas against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire, sabotaging the railroad which provided the Turks with food, water and military supplies. He was so accurate with dynamiting the train engines, the price of seats was adjusted by how close the seat was to the train engine. The seats farthest from the train engine were the most expensive.
The damages to the railroad allowed the British Navy to have access to every important Red Sea Port.
Now, to the present! Here is Ken on what I believe is a replica of the engine, at the largest station on the Hijaz Railway:
Because of the climate and fresh water around Mada'in Saleh, people settled there. The Nabateen's capital was Petra in Jordan and it expanded to include Mada'in Saleh.
Here we are looking at one of the Nabateen wells:
Here are some of the carved tombs:
Ken inside one of the tombs:
This would have been a grave for a servant, outside of the tomb:
I am looking out of an opening in the tomb. I assume that it was natural.
This stair step pattern above many of the tombs refers to the stairs to heaven.
This pediment is topped by an eagle and two pots of gold. At some point in recent history, all the heads of the sculptures of the eagles were shot off because they were deemed "idols" because they had eyes.
In the holy area:
Ken going to the top of the mountain!
At the top:
Watching the beautiful sunset on a hill overlooking the monuments:
The King's Tomb:
The face on the side of the rock outcropping:
Farewell to Mada'in Saleh:
The last site that we visited was an abandoned ancient village
The first exhibit that we encountered as we entered the site was the display about the Hejaz railway, which ran from Damascus to Medina through the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
The Ottoman Turks wanted the line to be part of the Ottoman line that ran from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Damascus. The Sultan Abdul Hamid II, an Ottoman Turk, pushed for it to built with the help of a German engineer. He wanted it to connect Constantinople, the capitol of the Ottoman Empire, with Mecca, the holiest of shrines in Islam and the destination for annual pilgrimage of Muslims. He also wanted to economically integrate the Arab provinces with the Ottoman Empire and to transport military personnel quickly. Before the railroad, it was a 2 month trip by camel caravan between Constantinople and Mecca. The train would do it in less than 55 hours.
But the Emir of Mecca viewed the railway as a threat to Arab sovereignty since it provided the Ottomans with easy access to garrisons in the Hejaz . From the start, the railway was the target of attacks by local Arab tribes. Because locals pulled up the wooden railroad ties to fuel campfires, some sections were laid with iron railroad ties. The line was damaged repeatedly during the War World I, particularly by guerilla forces led by T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, during the Arab Revolt (seeking independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks). Lawrence was a British officer and explosives expert.
As an archeologist, he had learned the customs of the Arabs and there was mutual respect between them. He led attacks with Arab guerillas against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire, sabotaging the railroad which provided the Turks with food, water and military supplies. He was so accurate with dynamiting the train engines, the price of seats was adjusted by how close the seat was to the train engine. The seats farthest from the train engine were the most expensive.
The damages to the railroad allowed the British Navy to have access to every important Red Sea Port.
Now, to the present! Here is Ken on what I believe is a replica of the engine, at the largest station on the Hijaz Railway:
| | According to the website, www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_ Before Alexander’s conquest, a thriving new civilization had emerged in southern Jordan. It appears that a nomadic tribe known as the Nabateans began migrating gradually from Arabia during the sixth century BCE. Over time, they abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in a number of places in southern Jordan, the Naqab desert in Palestine, and in northern Arabia. Their capital city was the legendary Petra, Jordan’s most famous tourist attraction. Although Petra was inhabited by the Edomites before the arrival of the Nabateans, the latter carved grandiose buildings, temples and tombs out of solid sandstone rock. They also constructed a wall to fortify the city, although Petra was almost naturally defended by the surrounding sandstone mountains. Building an empire in the arid desert also forced the Nabateans to excel in water conservation. They were highly skilled water engineers, and irrigated their land with an extensive system of dams, canals and reservoirs.The Nabateans were exceptionally skilled traders, facilitating commerce between China, India, the Far East, Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. They dealt in such goods as spices, incense, gold, animals, iron, copper, sugar, medicines, ivory, perfumes and fabrics, just to name a few. From its origins as a fortress city, Petra became a wealthy commercial crossroads between the Arabian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures. Control of this crucial trade route between the upland areas of Jordan, the Red Sea, Damascus and southern Arabia was the lifeblood of the Nabatean Empire. |
Here we are looking at one of the Nabateen wells:
Petroglyphs:
An oasis:
THE END
