Medain Salih; It is a pre-Islamic archaeological site located in the Medina Region of Saudi Arabia. The region, which bears traces of the ancient period of the Nabataean Kingdom, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia. Hz. The area, which contains the ruins of the Prophet Salih, has become one of the important tourism centers of the country. The region is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and consists of places of worship, living and agriculture, and cemeteries.
Medain Salih, an archaeological site thousands of years old, is located in Jordan. Petra antique town It is one of the most magnificent archaeological sites in the region. The most striking part of Medain Salih is the tombs, there are 94 carved tombs, 35 simple burial chambers and thousands of tombs. Medain Salih, where the Semitic tribes lived, described in Surat al-Qamar, is known today as one of the oldest historical routes in Saudi Arabia. For this reason, Medain Salih is also of great importance as it is one of the first places in the country to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Medain Salih is a place where the Semites, one of the important tribes of the pre-Islamic Arabian peninsula, live, and this story is included in the Qur’an. Semites, St. In Salih’s time, they started to worship the idols they made, but this situation was not welcomed and punished by Allah. Research conducted in Medain Salih has revealed that this region has been severely damaged by earthquakes and lightning strikes.
The Destruction of the Thamud Tribe
Thamud tribe, Hz. It is an Arab tribe to which Salih was sent as a prophet. According to the Qur’an, Hz. Salih conveyed Allah’s orders to his people and called them to stop worshiping idols. However, the people of Thamud resisted and denied this call. Thamud tribe, Hz. He challenged Salih and asked for a miracle. Thereupon, Allah sent a female camel to the people of Thamud as a miracle. The camel drinks from a source of water that they must share equally among themselves within a certain period of time. However, the people of Thamud attacked the camel, killed it and did injustice.
This was accepted as a great sin and a great punishment was sent to the Thamud tribe. A terrible sound (Sayha), accompanied by earthquakes and violent sounds as punishment, came to the people and all the people of Thamud were destroyed. This torment destroyed the houses and buildings of the people and destroyed them.
The Thamud tribe was destroyed due to their denial and rebellion, and this event is described in religious texts as a warning and lesson story. The incident took place in the Medain Salih region. The houses carved into the rocks were used by the Nabataeans in the region after the people of Thamud were destroyed. The ruins and houses carved into the rocks in the region reflect the existence of different societies throughout history by carrying the traces of different civilizations.
History of Medain Salih and Artifacts Found
Medain Saleh is located in the holy Hijaz region in western Saudi Arabia today and is close to Medina. Also known as Hegra, this archaeological site is home to remains, most of which date back to the 1st century AD. It is estimated that the tombs found in the region were carved between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. The animal figures on the graves vary according to the social position and wealth of the person lying in them.
Medain Salih said, “Mr. It means “Cities of Salih” and was one of the important cities belonging to the Netabi kingdom in ancient times. Along with Petra, it is considered one of the most important cities of the region. Medain Salih is famous for its stone carvings with unique structures. The magnificent structures in this historical archaeological site in the middle of the desert were built by carving the stones. In the ancient region, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, there are more than 130 rocks carved for people to live in. Most of these rocks have survived and can still be seen as places where people lived thousands of years ago.
Medain Salih is a place mentioned in the works of the famous geographer Strabo and is described as the “land of rocks”. Medain Salih is located 20 kilometers from the city of Al-Ula, and the depths of the carved rocks here reach up to 20 meters. These rocks contain areas for families to live in, and also contain various public and religious structures. There are also various inscriptions in the region, these inscriptions give us information about the life and cultural elements of that period.
The inscriptions found in Medain Salih provide various information about the history of the region. Inscriptions and belongings of the Semites, who lived in the region from the 6th century BC to the 4th century BC, were discovered centuries later. However, many of the inscriptions found in the region are still being deciphered. Research continues to read the inscriptions belonging to the Semites.
After the collapse of the Nabataean Kingdom, the Romans dominated the region and Medain Salih continued to exist as an important settlement. Artifacts from this period are also in Medain Salih. Thus, Medain Salih is an ancient settlement that brings together different cultures and contains Lihyan, Nabataean and Roman works. This richness further emphasizes the historical and cultural importance of the region.
Medain Salih region maintained its importance during the Ottoman period. It is known that the region is mentioned as seven cities in the travel book of the famous traveler Evliya Çelebi. In addition, the famous traveler of the Middle Ages, Ibn Battuta, also mentioned Medain Salih in his travel book. This shows how important and attention the region has been throughout history. Medain Salih has been the subject of visits and narratives by historians and travelers in different periods for a long time.
Medain Salih has been a place where people have lived since the 6th century BC, and served as an important settlement area for the region both during the Nabataean Kingdom and the Roman period. However, it was abandoned after the 4th century and human traces were erased over time. For this reason, the Medain Salih region was evaluated as a place where archaeological remains were found during the Ottoman period. The region has been under the influence of different civilizations throughout history and has become an important archaeological site with its rich history.
