.

.

The northwest of the country is one of the most compelling places in Saudi Arabia. This windswept plain contains the spectacular rock tombs that are the kingdom's most famous archaeological site. most of them were carved between 100 BC and 100 AD, when Madain Salah was the second most important Nabatean kingdom after Petra, now in Jordan.  www.ppsimages.com/pp/cltlp4.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tombs were discovered in the 1880's by Charles Doughty, although Madain Salah's tombs are less spectacular than those at Petra, they're much better preserved, the rock here is harder and less prone to water damage. Qasr Farid is the largest tomb at Madain Salah and is carved from a single large outcrop of rock standing alone in the desert. The diwan or meeting room in this Qasr is carved into a hillside and would probably have used as a cult site.
www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/saudi_arabia/obt.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During its prime, Madain Saleh was an important stop on the caravan routes from the incense producing areas of southern Arabia, to Syria, Egypt, Byzantium and other points. The Nabataeans became rich through their control of the incense route and their charging caravans, tolls of up to 25%. They entered a decline in the first century AD when the Romans realized that the incense could be loaded onto ships and taken to Egypt.
www.mideasttravelnet.com/mideastsite/saudiarabia/cs.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

This is the kingdom's northern gateway, linking Syria and Iraq with the arabian peninsula. It is the cradle of the Nabatean and Assyrian cultures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sightsee in the Al-Hasa Oasis: For our day trip to the Al-Hasa oasis, we have a local guide, Sabrina  Rigas, an American who is married to a Saudi. She majored in archeology at  Arizona University and now lectures on cultural tours. She is also a cooking  instructor specializing in Saudi cuisine, in addition, Sabrina collects antique doors and has about 310 of  them.
www.saudiembassy.net/publications/Magazine-Winter-01/wonders.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We go by motorcoach with a local guide, Hussain Al-Khalifah, director of  the Al-Jouf Museum. Our first stop is Qadr Rock where we observe pre- Nabataean petroglyphs that date back more than two millennium. The writing  on the rock is Hamoudi and Arabic. Once there was a water well near the rock,  and the location was a resting place for the numerous caravans that passed  through.
www.saudiembassy.net/publications/Magazine-Winter-01/wonders.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~