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Fish Market
The colourful and frenetic fish market – west of the Corniche – has at least 50 species of sea creature on display, ranging from hammerhead sharks to grouper, parrotfish and squid. Don’t miss the daily sale of the morning’s catch (from 5am to 9am), when the action really gets going
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Antiquities Museum
This museum belongs to the College of Tourism and Antiquities at King Saud University and is home to objects discovered during the Faw and Rabdha excavations (archaeological sites in southern and northern Saudi Arabia respectively) that were carried out by the university. The colle
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Al Khuraymat
This area, about 750m north of Qasr Al Saneh, has some of the best-preserved tombs in Madain Saleh – around 20 tombs are carved into the rock face. Look out for elegant gynosphinxes: spirit guardians with women’s heads, lions’ bodies and wings adorning the corners of pediments. The
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Museum of the Prophet
Hajj and umrah pilgrims flock to this privately owned museum dedicated to study of the Quran, the Prophet’s life and his Hadiths (sayings). The museum features a scientific examination of Mohammed’s life, and there are also displays of utensils, furniture and weaponry used by the P
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Naseef House
Jeddah’s old coral houses are in a sorry state. Unique among the sea of dilapidation is the restored Naseef House, which belonged to one of Jeddah’s most powerful trading families. It’s set back from Souq Al Alawi – look out for the wide ramps installed by King Abdul Aziz in place
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Tuesday Market
Abha’s Tuesday market is worth a visit. Although open daily, Tuesday is the busiest day. The market sells locally made handicrafts such as coloured basket ware, traditional leather baby carriers and clay ovens. There’s also a gold souq and a gloriously scented herb, spice and incen
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Nabataean Well & Al Mahajar Tombs
The Nabataeans were masters of hydrology and manipulated rain run-off and underground aquifers to thrive in this desert landscape. This great well was one of over 60 wells currently known in the city. The wall supports – added in the 20th century – were built from railway sleepers
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Jabal Rahmah
Known as the Mountain of Mercy, this granite hill is an important part of performing hajj as pilgrims leave Mina for Arafat on the ninth day to recite the Quran and pray. The Prophet gave his last sermon at the site shortly before his death. Stairs leading to the hill’s peak provid
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Makkah Museum
Once the Al Zahir Palace, the 3435-sq-metre Makkah Museum has a collection ranging from images of Saudi Arabia’s important archaeological discoveries to exhibits on pre-Islamic history. An interesting presentation traces the origins of Islamic calligraphy by reference to Arabic fon
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Qasr Farid
Qasr Farid in the south is the largest tomb of Madain Saleh and perhaps the most stunning, if not the most iconic in the region. Carved starting from the top – but never completed – from a free-standing rock monolith, its location gives it a rare beauty. Try to arrive as late in yo
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Old Abha
There’s sadly not much of Old Abha left, but the few good examples of traditional architecture are well worth seeking out. Some of the best-preserved houses lie southwest of the Grand Mosque on the same square as the Town Hall, so you’ll need to ask the police guarding the building
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Qasr Al Saneh
Qasr Al Saneh is an appropriate place to start a tour of Madain Saleh, as it reveals many of the essential elements of Nabataean funerary architecture: a relatively unadorned facade; the two five-step motifs at the top; a simple interior burial chamber with shelves for corpses; and
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Al Malaa Cemetery
Many of the most important members of the Prophet’s family are buried here, including the Prophet’s first wife, Umm ul Mu’mineen Khadija, his sons Qasim and Abdullah, his uncle Abu Talib and his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. When visiting, remember not to leave flowers or objects on
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Qasr Al Bint
Qasr Al Bint consists of a wonderful row of facades that make for dramatic viewing from across Madain Saleh. The east face has two particularly well-preserved tombs, the largest 16m tall. If you look up near the northern end of the west face, you’ll distinguish a tomb that was aban
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Grand Mosque
The focal point for every Muslim performing hajj, the Grand Mosque encompasses 356,800 sq metres and can accommodate as many as 820,000 worshippers within its confines and more than one million outside the perimeter, where worshippers can pray. The Kaaba is in the central courtyard
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Sharbatly House
Built in 1930, this historic structure also boasts some lovely mashrabiyya (balconies with perforated screens to allow the air to circulate and inhabitants to look out without being seen). Though restored during the 1980s, it has since been allowed to deteriorate. It is officially
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Birthplace of Mohammed
The birthplace of the Prophet still survives, although it faces threats of demolition to make way for the expansion of the Grand Mosque. Adjacent to the mosque across an expansive courtyard, the two-story structure is now a library. At this site it’s believed that Aminah gave birth
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Historic Quarter
Northwest of the city centre, at the edge of the commercial zone and 1km from the beach, is the citys historic area. The recently restored residence of TE Lawrence, who helped the Arabs defend Yanbu against the Turks in 1916, is the shining centerpiece of this small district. (Neig
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Umm Al Daraj
A few kilometres north of Old Al Ula, Umm Al Daraj (Mother of Steps) is worth a detour. Climbing the hill reveals three red-sandstone religious structures, a former Lihyanite sacrificial altar and some beautiful Lihyanite inscriptions; ancient petroglyphs – depicting people and cam
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Riyadh Zoo
The largest zoo in Saudi Arabia began in 1957 as a small-scale zoo that housed animals gifted to members of the Al Saud ruling clan. Refurbished and opened to the public in 1987, its highlights include the houbara bustard, which is almost extinct in the wild in Saudi Arabia. Openin
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