The heritage city of AlUla in northern Saudi Arabia has been included on a list of Seven Wonders of the World for 2023.
The list was compiled by award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar. Alula is a place of extraordinary history and cultural heritage. However, until recently, very few people outside Arabia knew about the place or visited the region.
According to Millar, when the site was officially opened to visitors by the end of 2022, it unveiled a 200,000-year-old piece of Arabian history. AlUla is located in the heart of Saudi Arabia’s northwestern desert, much of which is still unexplored. It is estimated that less than 5 percent of the site has been excavated.
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Hegra (Al-Hijr) is famous for its elaborate monumental tombs carved into stark red sandstone cliffs. AlUla Old Town is a maze of now-abandoned mud brick houses strewn with earthy desert hues.
There is ancient rock art and restaurants from top chefs, including Maraya, set up by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton and located on top of the largest mirrored building in the world.
