THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

When I moved to Saudi Arabia in 2007, sight unseen, I knew my life would be changed forever. But what I never expected was to completely and utterly fall in love with the Saudi people and its culture. 

It took me a while to accept and get used to many things about life here.  Early on I could never see myself being happy living here long term. 

Without realizing exactly when it happened, I grew to love this wondrous and mysterious land and appreciate the simplicity, history, generosity and goodness that it had to offer.

Saudi Arabia has been my home for the past fifteen years - and now it's time to say goodbye. Over the years I've made extraordinary friendships, mostly through my blogging, that I will cherish forever. 

I'm proud that I've been able to help others in navigating this land of contradictions, fascination, and enchantment.  But now that I won't be living here any more, I feel it's time to hang up my blogging hat. 

So I just want to say "Thank you, Saudi Arabia" for always making me feel safe and welcome wherever I went. Thank you for opening my eyes and my heart to your ways and wisdom.  

Thank you to my wonderful husband for changing my life forever for the better by taking me on this amazing adventure with him.

Thank you to my readers who were as inquisitive and interested in this wondrous place as I was. And thank you to my friends who included me in their outings and made it easier for me to be able to explore this country.

It's been an amazing ride. I will leave a big piece of my heart here when I leave in the coming days.  

There is so much more I could say but I'll just let these photos say it for me.

 

Good bye - until we meet again!

Madein Saleh - Stairway to Heaven

The tombs at Madein Saleh were carved by hand with crude tools into the gigantic sandstone rocks outside of Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.  Some tombs were never completed, but those that were all have one design element in common - above the entry door into the tomb, were stairsteps which were to lead the occupant of the tomb to heaven.

Historically this whole area was in a strategic trade route location linking southern Arabia with important locations to the north, like Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Jordan.  This region comprised the Nabataean Kingdom, running from south Arabia along the Red Sea all the way up through Jordan to Damascus, Syria.  The Nabataeans were nomadic Bedouins who became wealthy from levying taxes on the trade caravans that routed through their territory.

When compared with its sister site of Petra in Jordan, which was the Nabataean civilzation's capital city, Madein Saleh is unique in that it is considered more of a wealth of information and an archaeologist's dream, as it is virtually untouched and preserved.  Inscriptions were actually carved into the stone at the tombs of Madein Saleh, providing much more information than is available at Petra.  The inscriptions at Petra were apparently made out of wood, which long ago rotted and along with it valuable historical information.



Madein Saleh is home to more than 130 such tombs, many of the large rocky mountains housing several tombs on one rock.  Once the Nabataeans were taken over by the Roman Empire, cheaper and faster alternate transport using the Red Sea became the preferred method for trade shipments, as opposed to struggling with the harsh elements of the desert caravan conditions.  As desert trade dropped off, the once prosperous Nabataean civilzation suffered and dwindled.

Madein Saleh has been closed to the public in preparation for the development of the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia.  It will be interesting to see how tourism develops here when the site is expected to reopen in 2020.  I'm curious to see how the religious and cultural aspects of life in Saudi Arabia will be affected or bent in order to accommodate interested travelers from the outside world.

My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

I was fortunate to be able to attend the phenomenal Winter at Tantora Festival going on now through Feb. 23rd, with special weekend concerts and tours of the area, including access to Madein Saleh just for attendees of the event.  Tickets may still be available, and visas are apparently easy to obtain for those wishing to come from outside Saudi Arabia for this very special and unforgettable event.  Information and tickets are available at this site:  Winter at Tantora 

Madain Saleh - the Petra of Saudi Arabia from Susie Khalil