The Old Town is an archaeological site near al-Ula, Medina Province, Saudi Arabia.[1] It is known as the Dira (Arabic: دِيرَة, romanized: dīra, lit. 'town'). Inside the Deira are ancient heritage buildings, mosques(masjid), and markets, dating back about seven centuries.[2] This town is 22 kilometres (14 mi) away from Hegra.[3] The heritage town looks like a single building due to the crowding of its 870 residential units. These units are separated by narrow and winding alleys. The town is divided into two districts: al-Shugaig in the north and al-Haf in the south.[4]
The Old Town (Al-Ula)
البلدة القديمة (العلا) | |
|---|---|
 Al-Ula old town | |
  The Old Town (Al-Ula) | |
| Coordinates: 26°37′N 37°55′E / 26.617°N 37.917°E | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| region | al-Madinah |
Remaining monuments (archeological sites)
edit- Mousa Bin Nusayr castle.
- Tantora which was a guide for farmers to know the growing seasons and the timing of water distribution.
- The sundial clock in the south of the town.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Heritage Sites in Al-'Ula, Saudi Arabia | ExperienceAl-'Ula.com". experiencealula.com. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
- ^ "About Al-'Ula". www.winterattantora.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-30. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
- ^ "Winter at Tantora Festival: See Al-'Ula's Culture Come to Life". experiencealula.com.
- ^ "France to help build a 'new Petra' in Saudi Arabia with estimated $20bn development deal". www.theartnewspaper.com.