Latest news with #Nabataean
CairoScene
04-07-2025
- CairoScene
Desert Rock Resort is Carved Into the Hejaz Mountains of Saudi Arabia
Desert Rock by Oppenheim Architecture integrates architecture with the Saudi landscape, using stone and earth excavated on site to create a seamless, sustainable mountain resort. In the Hejaz Mountains of Saudi Arabia, Desert Rock Resort is not built on the landscape - it is etched into it. Designed by Oppenheim Architecture, with the interior concept developed by Paolo Ferrari, the resort is carved from the mountain itself, using stone and earth excavated on site for both structure and finish. The arrival experience is discreet and immersive. Guests enter through a secret valley, with the resort gradually revealed by the contours of the land. Desert Rock spans 30,000 square metres, with clusters of buildings scattered throughout a cloaked valley and nestled among rocky outcrops. Roads are hidden behind landscape mounds to preserve uninterrupted views, and minimise sound and light pollution. The architecture draws inspiration from the Nabataean civilisation, with the resort's design blending into its rugged surroundings and almost camouflaged within the landscape. Geometric forms and sharp edges define the architecture, balanced by pools and curved landscape elements. The resort comprises 48 villas and 12 hotel rooms, with some perched high above the landscape and others at ground level. Cliff-Hanging Villas feature recessed windows and elevated private pools, evoking the feeling of a secluded cavern. Mountain Cave Suites and Mountain Crevice Villas are carved into the plateau, with pools set on the edge of the stone crown. The accommodation offers views of the mountainous landscape, with each building shaped by the terrain and constructed using concrete made from aggregates sourced directly from the site. The interiors are finished with natural materials such as plaster, limestone, bronze, and wood. Custom-designed furnishings and fixtures are found throughout the resort, including details like sand-cast steel door knockers, integrated bed frames, and sunken sofas, all contributing to the character of the spaces. Excavated materials are repurposed into the project's infrastructure, reducing environmental impact. Native plants are used throughout the arid landscape, and passive cooling techniques lower the resort's overall energy consumption. Most materials are sourced or recycled from the site, further punctuating the resort's foundation in sustainability.
Mid East Info
28-06-2025
- Mid East Info
AlUla's ‘Hegra After Dark' Experience Wins Best Arts and Culture Event at Middle East Event Awards 2025 - Middle East Business News and Information
AlUla, Saudi Arabia – June 2025: An immersive experience held exclusively in the ancient heritage destination of AlUla has been awarded Best Arts and Culture Event at the Middle East Event Awards 2025. Hegra After Dark, produced in collaboration with Saudi events company ImaginExperience is an imaginative nighttime journey set in the landscape of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. This captivating event was first launched in October 2021 and has since welcomed thousands of curious guests. Inspired by historical research and brought to life through dramatic storytelling, sensory encounters and hands-on activities, Hegra After Dark reimagines the rich history of this city in creative and compelling ways. During the over one-hour experience, visitors are led along incense-scented trails, fully surrounding them in the rich cultural legacy of the Nabataeans and the ancient Incense Road, on which AlUla was a vital stop. From horse-drawn carriage rides to live performances and a vibrant theatrical marketplace, the experience is infused with the sights, sounds, scents, and flavours of the Nabataean era, bringing the ancient world vividly to life. Hegra After Dark will return on 26th November 2025 and will run until 14th February 2026 with the re-launch of the annual Ancient Kingdoms Festival, which returns this year from 20th November until 7th December, 2025. The event is one of many authentically crafted tours and experiences in AlUla designed for discerning travellers seeking deeply immersive, culturally rich and meaningful encounters. About AlUla: Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned. The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of over 140 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman's conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE. In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO's memory of the World Register. Also, AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, which has been selected as one of the World's Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO.
CairoScene
22-06-2025
- CairoScene
Surreal Stargazing Spots Across the Middle East & Beyond
Surreal Stargazing Spots Across the Middle East & Beyond From Egypt's chalk deserts to Jordan's red cliffs, these are the regional skies that can silence your thoughts. When the noise of the world fades and the cities fall behind, a different kind of beauty takes hold. It's the hush of wind through dunes, the rustle of date palms, the quiet hum of being very small beneath something very vast. In the remote corners of the Middle East and North Africa, night doesn't fall—it rises. And with it comes a dazzling canopy of stars, unspoiled by city lights or the rush of time. Whether you're dreaming of desert silences or mountain stillness, here are 10 breathtaking places across the region where you can lie back, look up, and let the stars do the talking. Wadi Rum, Jordan Nicknamed the 'Valley of the Moon,' this iconic desert is pure stargazing magic. Towering red cliffs, Martian landscapes, and zero light pollution make it one of the clearest skies on Earth. Whether you're camped in a Bedouin tent or stretched out on warm sand, the stars here don't just appear—they perform. Siwa Oasis, Egypt In a world that rarely stops moving, Siwa feels like a pause. Surrounded by sand dunes and salt lakes near Egypt's western border, the oasis has a gentle silence that's mirrored in its night skies. The Milky Way stretches wide here, as if to say: stay a while. White Desert, Egypt Where else can you stargaze beside surreal chalk formations that glow ghost-white under moonlight? The Farafra White Desert is a dreamscape by day and a cosmic theatre by night—where planets, constellations, and the occasional meteor streak across a backdrop of sculpted silence. Fayoum Desert, Egypt Just two hours from Cairo, Fayoum feels like another planet. Fossil beds, sand dunes, and whispering winds by day give way to star-streaked skies at night. It's the perfect place to rediscover wonder—no telescope needed. Saint Catherine, Sinai, Egypt Nestled high in the mountains of South Sinai, this sacred site offers altitude, clarity, and an almost mythical sense of calm. After a sunrise hike up Mount Sinai, stay for the night sky: crisp, cold, and brimming with stars. AlUla, Saudi Arabia Beyond its ancient tombs and golden cliffs, AlUla's night skies remain vast and untouched. The stars stretch endlessly above Nabataean ruins, while meteor showers carve silver arcs overhead. It's stargazing steeped in history and silence. Jebel Shams, Oman They call it the 'Mountain of the Sun,' but when darkness falls, Oman's highest peak reveals a galaxy-strewn sky. At 3,000 meters, you're practically eye-level with the stars—ideal for deep, still, soul-stirring stargazing. Ras Al Jinz, Oman Best known for its nesting sea turtles, this coastal reserve also boasts some of Oman's most dramatic skies. Picture this: waves lapping at your feet, the moon tracing silver on the sea, and constellations climbing out of the horizon. Erg Chebbi, Morocco This golden dune sea near Merzouga is a stargazer's paradise. With only firelight and sand for miles, the stars here are piercingly clear—especially on moonless nights when the Milky Way dances across the Moroccan sky. Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan Perched above the Great Rift Valley, this nature reserve is home to rare wildlife by day and endless stars by night. With its remote trails and high cliffs, Dana is a place to unplug completely—and reconnect with the cosmos.
Gulf Insider
09-06-2025
- Gulf Insider
British Explorer Becomes First to Walk Across Saudi Arabia
After seven blistered weeks, more than 930km of desert terrain, and the company of two camels named Lulu and Juicy, British adventurer Alice Morrison has completed the first stage of what may be the most ambitious trek of her life: Walking the full length of Saudi Arabia from north to south. With the Hajj season now complete and pilgrims dispersing from the holy cities, Morrison's parallel journey, quieter, slower and laced with both pain and revelation, has inspired audiences in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The expedition, which began in March near Jordan's border, has taken her through ancient Nabataean ruins, remote mountain passes, and the shifting sand seas of the Arabian interior. Along the way, she has uncovered Bronze Age relics, walked with Saudi Arabia's first female wildlife rangers, and documented the fast-changing social and environmental landscape of the Kingdom. 'This is one of the hardest but most rewarding journeys I've ever done,' Morrison said from AlUla, where she ended her first leg. 'We're walking a half-marathon each day, while also filming, interviewing, and wrangling camels. It's exhausting, but I feel so alive.' Known for her work on BBC's Arabian Adventures and her previous expeditions across Africa and the Middle East, Morrison is no stranger to endurance. But this walk, which will resume in October for its final 1,300-kilometre stretch to the southern border, is different. It's a kind of pilgrimage, she says, not only across a country but through history, culture, and change. Alongside her were her animal companions and a small crew, including Saudi guides and camel handlers. They slept under the stars, bathed in wadis, and lived, she said, 'at the speed of the land.' Morrison, who speaks fluent Arabic and studied Middle Eastern languages at the University of Edinburgh, sees her journey as a way to challenge global perceptions of Saudi Arabia, particularly around gender and tradition. 'I've walked with women leading conservation projects, managing camels, doing archaeological work,' she said. 'They're changing things from within and they're proud of it.' Among her most moving encounters was with female wildlife rangers in Wadi Al Disah, who spoke candidly about breaking barriers in male-dominated fields. 'At first, they said it felt strange. Now it feels normal. That's progress,' she said. The team's discoveries have included 4,000-year-old rock carvings, pieces of the old Hejaz railway, abandoned in the desert like history's breadcrumbs. In one memorable moment, an archaeologist found what appeared to be a shift schedule carved in stone 'an ancient timesheet,' Morrison said. But the expedition has not been without hardship. On the first day, she developed severe blisters. 'I was in agony for three weeks,' she admitted. 'But you learn to manage the pain. You keep walking.' Her previous journeys include cycling from Cairo to Cape Town, walking the length of Jordan, and trekking with Amazigh nomads across Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Each journey, she says, is a lesson in humility and endurance. She's also raised attention and money for environmental and educational initiatives along the way, and has used her growing digital audience to tell daily stories from the road. 'Walking through a place gives you access to it,' she said. 'You're not just seeing it you're part of it.' Stage Two of the walk begins in October from Medina. She expects it to take another two months. As for what drives her? 'I only have one life,' she said. 'And I want to live it fully. These journeys make me grow. They show me, and hopefully others, what's possible when you just begin.' Also read: Saudi Pavilion At Expo 2025 Osaka Celebrates 70th Anniversary Of Diplomatic Relations With Japan
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
1,600-Year-Old, Byzantine-Era Mosaic Finally Revealed to Public
An intricate mosaic dating back 1,600 years has been unveiled in Israel nearly 40 years after it was first discovered, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced. The Byzantine-era mosaic was originally excavated in 1990 in a town adjacent to the Gaza Strip. It's adorned with 55 medallions which create a mosaic of various hunting scenes, fruits, animals, and mythological figures. For 35 years the mosaic was buried underneath protective soil to prevent any deterioration. But recently, the IAA and the country's Ministry of Heritage conserved and relocated the ancient artwork through the Antiquities Right at Home initiative, which brings ancient relics to communities across the country."This is a unique mosaic from the Byzantine period," said Shaike Lender, the excavation's co-leader. "The level of artistic detail-created from thousands of colored tesserae, pottery, and glass-is simply extraordinary.' Ami Shahar, the head of the IAA's conservation program, praised the restorationist's work. "Years of exposure had taken a toll on the mosaic's integrity, prompting urgent intervention,' he said. 'Now, housed within an enclosed space, it can finally be appreciated in its full splendor.' The mosaic was originally installed in a Byzantine monastery complex which also served as a winery. Discovered alongside the artwork were a winepress, warehouses, and ceramic storage jars, indicating a flourishing local economy. The complex was situated on the Nabataean-Roman spice route, which connected Halutza to the port of Gaza. "This settlement likely served as a haven for travelers on the edge of the desert, providing safety and sustenance," the IAA explained in its statement. "Its placement suggests it may have been a frontier outpost against potential raids.' The mosaic is now open to the public, located in a space which features seating areas in addition to an archaeological garden. "This magnificent mosaic is a living testimony to life in the Negev 1,600 years ago," Hajaj said. "It connects our past to our present and future. We envision it becoming a focal point for education and tourism.' IAA Director Eli Escusido added: "Especially in this region bordering Gaza, making history accessible enhances community identity and brings visitors to areas often overlooked.'1,600-Year-Old, Byzantine-Era Mosaic Finally Revealed to Public first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 8, 2025
