ThePlace: Saudi Arabia’s AlUla contains Mada’in Saleh, the Kingdom’s first UNESCO site

​​​​​AlUla is a governate and city in northwestern Saudi Arabia 110 km southwest of Tayma and 300 km north of Madinah.
The city, which was a major trade center and capital of the Lihyanite civilization (7th century BCE to 65 BCE), is famous for its archaeological riches, mudbrick dwellings and the AlUla Museum.
The governorate also contains Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mada’in Saleh, which was built more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans, the successors to the Lihyanites.
This photograph was taken by Dhafer Al-Bakri as part of the Colors of Saudi competition.