Just about everyone in Saudi Arabia has, at least, heard of Madain Saleh – the rocky place near Madina.

And now, more than ever, can beautiful pictures of it be seen just about everywhere on the internet

Here are 7 facts that should give you a brief introduction on what the place is all about.

1. It is an archaeological site located in the sector of Al Ula within Al Madinah Region

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2. The majority of the remains date from the Nabatean kingdom that dates back to the first century CE

3. This is the second largest site dating back to the Nabatean kingdom

(The largest is Petra in Jordan.)

4. The name refers to the Quranic Prophet, Saleh

It translates to ‘Cities of Salih’.

According to the Quran, the settlements were populated by the the Thamudi people during the days of the Prophet Saleh.

5. It has 131 monumental tombs that have been cut into massive rocks that are a common occurrence in the site

6. The archaeological site was proclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008

It became the Kingdom’s first World Heritage Site.

7. It is currently one of the main sites that the Kingdom is promoting to attract global tourism