Medain Saleh Trip, December 1999     

This is Lindsay's version of the Medain Saleh Trip, December 1999 - an adventure taken by the Spencer family, the Kendrick family, the Kelada family the Heaths and Marlene Meiring, who went in the Heath's car. It's about Desert treks, desert driving and wadi driving, desert camping, 4x4 off-road, sand duning in our Land Rover Discovery along with other families in Saudi Arabia. Medain Saleh is about 820km north of Jeddah at 26N 37E, and is 786m above sea level. See the ancient civilization of the Nabateans, and follow for a little bit of where Lawrence of Arabia destroyed the Turk's railway.

Scroll down to see these and other images later in this webpage or you can click on them here.
Images from the trip   How to request permission to visit   Discovery Mods   Poll about your visit   Letters we've received  

Originally, we were going to go down the Hejaz railway after Medain Saleh, but it took so long to get here in a convoy and Medain Saleh looked interesting enough for the days we had. In fact, even if there were no historical sites to see - the scenery for the last 50km into Al Ula and Medain Saleh was most spectacular and very different to every where we had previosly been in Saudi Arabia. We were not that keen to leave it to a relatively hot and fairly barren plain where the Hijaz railway traveled further south. One of the cars wasn't doing very well, so we didn't want to go to the Hejaz Railway to ruin their car in case of not being able to get back. Good thing we didn't, because they had more trouble later.   

Our trip was 3 days long. We spent the first day geting there from Jeddah, stopping at Khayber dam on the way. It was a long drive and it would have been better to have stopped somewhere and camped. Then we spent two nights at Medain Saleh, just outside the gate (about 500m) and one whole of the next day in the antquities area. My dad and Mr Kelada had arabic tea with the guards at the gatehouse, sitting around a fireplace burning a very large log. On the third day we packed up and wehnt to the museum in Al Ula and then we headed home but stopped at Qa'alat Zummurrud station 80km south of Al Ula. We just had to see one of the parts of this railroad.

We used the books "Off-Road in the Hejaz" by Patrick Pierard and Patrick Legros and Desert Treks from Jeddah (at Amazon) by Patricia Barbor as our guides for most of the trip.

My Dad has made some notes for general Desert Treks in Saudi Arabia including what to expect in a town like Al Ula and some specific Land Rover Discovery Modifications for this trip including tyres size changes and spares.

Images from Medain Saleh Trip, December 1999

 For an enlarged view - left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In. All unmarked pictures were taken by the Spencer family, on a Canon video camera and captured on an ATI all-in-Wonder video board unless specified in the caption. The background image was taken from an image of the sand in the area blurred and modified.

For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
1. The area around Al Ula and Medain Saleh
We didn't expect to see such dramatic scenes in Al Ula.		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
2. Early morning looking north of Medain Saleh.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
3. View from the tent looking at Eagle Rock		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
4. Eagle Rock, Medain Saleh, early morning.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
5. Our view of the picture to the right from the campsite, early morning.		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
6. Saudi version of the three or four sisters,
Medain Saleh entrance, later that morning.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
7. Do they enjoy their new kitchen?
Photo by Marlene Meiring
 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
7. Hey mom, is breakfast ready yet?
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
8. We shared the task of meals together,
and we got to do breakfast.
Eggs and stuff are ready now. 		For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
10. Saudi version of the 2 sisters,
my mom and Marlene.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
9. It was cold, so we went around the fire.
An insrciption of the tomb no. 66
This is the tomb which Matiyu the governor,
son of Euphronios the perfect,
made for himself and his grandchildren
and Wa'ilu, his wife, and their children.
In the month of Nisan,
the forty-eighth year or Haretat,
King of the Nabataeans. Lover of his people.
And no-one has the right (to) sell
or give in pledge or lease this tomb for ever.
Aftah son of Abd Obodat made it.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
11. Oh yes, this is what we came here for - the tombs.		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
12. Another one.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
13. This is where the Nabateans buried their dead Kings.
Medain Saleh is one of the many known Nabataean
sites including Petra, Jebel Et-Tannur, Wadi Ramm, Dhiban, Edh-Dherih,
'Abda, Sbeita, Mampsis, Bostra, Si', and Suweida. 		For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
14. The big famous one by itself, it is called Qsar Farid.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
15. This is supposed to be a special one,
we climbed to the top of it. 		For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
16. The square-like room to the left
ws described to us as a "funeral restuarant"
where they had excavated items related to
their burial rites.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
17. This is, I think to the upper left
on the same mountain as the picture above. 		For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
18. Another close-up of the picture to the left.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
21. Aldewan, looking north over Medain Saleh train station.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
20. A man moving the camel, sort of backwards, isn't it?		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
21. He kicked him out!
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
22. Al Ula east side horizon from in town. Al Ula is about 32k south of Medain Saleh.
This is two images taken on the move and rejoined after, so the foreground is not joined perfectly.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
23. This is the Heaths' car. It broke-down.		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
24. Where we didn't go - the Hejaz railway
valleys in the distance, north of Medina.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
25. Where we were stuck. 		For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
26. Highway patrol car.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
27. Lindsay Spencer
at Qa'alat Zummurrud station		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
28. Inside Zummurrud station.
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
29. Kelada's, Magdi & Laura,
Olivia, Johnathan & Vanessa.		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
30. Kendrick's, Sam & Mary,
John, Anna, Joseph & Thomas
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
31. Heaths - true, it's the only picture we had!
John & Faith with Marlene		 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
32. Spencer's, Mark & Jenny
Daniel, Lindsay & Benjamin
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
33. Packing camp
Photo by Marlene Meiring
 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
34. My Mum and Dad
in Medain Saleh
Photo by Marlene Meiring
For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
Author - Lindsay Spencer
Photo by Marlene Meiring
 For an enlarged view left-click and a new page will appear, or right-click on the picture and select Zoom-In.
35. Marlene - some of the photos which are marked are hers.
Marlene was probably trained in the military because she is always saluting.

References to Nabateans in Medain Saleh

Aretas was the father-in-law of Herod Antipas, and king of Arabia Petraea from 9 B.C.-A.D. 40. Aretas' governor in Damascus attempted to arrest Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:32

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

How to request permission to visit - Request to Riyadh

Address/Phone

Department of Antiquities & Museums,
P.O.Box 3734,
Riyadh, 11481
Phone: 01 411 5777, Ext 233,
Fax: 01 411 2051

The request letter and information you need to supply with your request must be in Arabic

We originally sent a request in English and called a number of times. We got the inshalla/bookra routine until the last week. This is when we persisted with an arabic speaker and found that they were not going to do anything until the arabic version of the request came in. The English version is of no use except maybe to you if you do not know all of your party.

For each vehicle: Vehicle #, Type, Registration, No. of Passengers travelling in this vehicle
For each passenger: Name (as in Iqama), Occupation, Nationality, Passport No., Iqama No.

Leters we've received

 

Mr./Mrs. Lindsay:

I must say, I was very surprised to find your Madain Salah website!

I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia from 1986 through 1990. I was a
geologist with the United States Geological Survey Mission in Jeddah. I
applied for permission to take the trip in 1986, and in '87 a fellow
USGS employee and I rode our two Land Cruisers up to Madinah and
from there rode along the old railway roadbed all the way to Madain Salah
and about 100 kilos north into the desert beyond. After Madinah, we
camped each night at the old fortified stations (we found one about
every 70 kilos along the line).

We rode directly on top of the old railbed because it was the most solid
footing for our Land Cruisers and the huge dunes that had been drifting
extensively that year seemed not to bury the railbed entirely. We
crossed several of the beautiful stonework trestles and rail bridges...
they seemed very incongruous in the middle of nowhere without their
rails and ties to justify their existence.

At Aba el Naam and farther north, some 34 km down the line from Al
Sawrah, we found the two trains Lawrence's Bedu fighters had dynamited
back in 1917. Nothing has changed since that time! We found twisted
pieces of iron rails in the sand beside the engines and other rolling
stock, one of which still remains upright, despite being some distance
from the track itself. Explosives ripped open sections of metal at the
back of the engine; wrecked bogies, blown apart from their carriages,
lie nearby. I brought back a handful of coal from one of the engines and

a one-meter-long piece of undamaged rail (I later made bookends of the
rail). I took a lot of pictures at each of the stations and still enjoy
looking through them to this day.

About 100 kilos north of Madain Salah we decided to turn due west,
riding on the gravel beds of the wadi west of Ad Dar al Hamrah. That was
the hardest part of the trip because our maps didn't show the course (or
location, for that matter!) of the wadi, and the cobbles and boulders of
the drainage were hard on the vehicles. But after about four hours of
butt-breaking runs, we finally came out at the coast a little north of
Al Wadj. I was never so glad to see the old coast highway!

If you're interested, I could send you prints of a few of the many pictures
we shot of the rolling stock (engines and cars) dynamited by Lawrence
back in 1917.

Just thought I'd share this with you. Thanks for putting your webpage
out there; it was a nice reminder of my time in-country.

Regards,

Mike Garrison
Websurfers Biweekly Earth Science Review

Go to Lindsay's Medain Saleh trip - see the ancient civilization of the Nabateans, follow where Lawrence of Arabia destroyed the Turk's railway Go to Ben's Wadi Al Lith trip - rock walled villages, forts, streams, camels, 4x4 Ben's Kruger National Park trip from South Africa Pakistan trip, 120k north of Islamabad to 300k south of Islamabad, 250k east of Kabul, wedding in Mian Wali and Sarghoda, the global village?
Lindsay's
Medain Saleh
trip		 Ben's
Wadi Al Lith
Baha-Taif trip		 Ben's
Kruger National Park
South Africa trip		 Come to
my wedding
in Pakistan


Author: Lindsay Spencer, in our back yard in Jeddah.