ThePlace: Qasr Al-Farid, in Mada’in Salih, Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site

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  • Qasr Al-Farid is the only tomb whose facade is decorated with four columns topped by a single Nabataea crown instead of two

Qasr Al-Farid, in Madain Saleh in the AlUla governorate, is a unique place — a tomb with the largest facade in the archeological site, measuring about 13.85 meters. In 2008, Madain Saleh was selected as one of UNESCO’s historic heritage sites, making it the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi Arabia.
Qasr Al-Farid is the only tomb whose facade is decorated with four columns topped by a single Nabataea crown instead of two. Because it stands alone in the open, is called Al-Farid, which means “unique.”
The tomb is intriguing, as it was never completed, nor was it ever used as such; there are no traces of burial sites within it.
This photograph was taken by Nasir Al-Nasir as part of the Colors of Saudi collection.