Mada’in Saleh is an ancient excavation site in modern day Saudi Arabia which has been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2008. Mada’in Saleh is the former city of Hegra. The entire settlement with its 130 gigantic tombs was carved directly into stone.

Most monuments and inscriptions date from the time between the 1st century B.C. and the 1st century A.D. Thanks to the dry weather the inscriptions in Aramaic and Thamudic have been well preserved.