#madainsaleh The UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mada'in Salih (Al Hijr) is one of Saudi's precious hidden treasures that could potentially develop beyond expextations under the vision 2030. Right, where exactly is this famed Mada'in Salih (Al Hijr)? It's located about 400 km northwest of Medina city, in the Al-Ula area, 20 km north of the city of Al Ula. Mada'in Salih is the nickname given by the locals to the Al Hijr Valley, formerly known as Hegra by the Greek, and part of Wadi Al Qura (Wadi means valley in Arabic). Mada’in Salih (Al Hijr) covers a surface of 16km square, with additional buffer zone of equal size, at the foot of basalt plateu in Southeast of Hedjaz mountain.

Mada’in Salih (Al Hijr) is The Nabataean Kingdom's second city after Petra in Jordan. With Petra, it's more clear cut. No problem with Muslims visiting it. It was not People of Thamud of Prophet Salih (Prophet Saleh) who lived there and destroyed by Allah. In the case of Mada’in Salih (Al Hijr) however, it's not that straight forward. The Thamud of Prophet Salih (Prophet Saleh) was a powerful ancient Arab civilisation that migrated from Yemen to Northern and Central Saudi Arabia. We are not 100 percent certain where People of Thamud of Prophet Salih (Prophet Saleh) inhabited, but what we do know is that they lived around 3rd millenium BCE, from recurring order in the Quran; Nuh, Hud, Salih, Musa and Egypt and Arab historical records.

And most of the tombs and inscriptions in Al Hijr dates back to between 1st century BCE and 1st century CE, attributing to the Nabataean Kingdom which flourished between 3rd century BCE to 1st century CE. Other indications of their date is mix of contemporary architectural elements borrowed from, Hellenistic Alexandria, 7th to 8th century BCE Assyrian, Phoenician, and Egyptian. (Cavetto Cornice).

So then how, come People of Al Hijr and People of Thamud of Prophet Salih (Saleh) are linked and said to be the same? Join me in this episode as I take you through the detailed discussion from Quran and Hadith perspective, thus concluding whether or not Mada’in Salih (Al Hijr) is really prohibited for visiting.