Lion Tombs

Article
1 min Reading time
02/04/2021
Landmarks and Monuments

The Lion Tombs are a historical site comprising a group of rock-cut graves located northeast of AlUla Governorate in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are one of 110 carved tombs in Hegra Archaeological City, dating back to the ninth century BCE. The tombs represent the remaining ruins of the Dadan Kingdom and now serve as an open-air museum for visitors as part of tours exploring Hegra Archaeological City.

Description of the Lion Tombs

The rock-cut Lion Tombs were designated for elite members of Nabataean society in the Dadan Kingdom. Carved into red rocks, their facades are topped with sculpted statues of four kneeling lions, which are believed to have been designed to guard the graves. Inscriptions and texts in the Minaean language appear at the center of the facades, reflecting cultural and social aspects of that era.

Design of the Lion Tombs

The design of the Lion Tombs represents an example of Nabataean architecture in the Arabian Peninsula. The tombs are part of Al-Khuraybah Archaeological Site, which served as the capital of the Dadan Kingdom during the ninth and eighth centuries BCE and later of the Lihyan Kingdom, whose civilization spanned from the fifth to the second centuries BCE.

Al-Khuraybah Site

Al-Khuraybah is located northeast of AlUla and is part of the ruins of ancient Dadan City, the capital of the Arabian Dadan Kingdom, followed by the Lihyan Kingdom, which succeeded in ruling the region. Dadan dominated the area during the seventh century BCE and extended its influence to nearby sites. The Lihyan Kingdom expanded its control from the sixth to the second century BCE, governing most of the northwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula.

Al-Khuraybah includes several archaeological sites besides the Lion Tombs, such as Mahlab Al-Naqah, along with various inscriptions, carved stones, and scattered antiquities across the site. The inscriptions found in Al-Khuraybah document the economic, political, religious, and social conditions of the Lihyanites.

Sources

Discover AlUla.


Saudi Press Agency (SPA).


Al-Saudiya Channel.


Royal Commission for AlUla.

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Table of contents

Info Box

Name
Lion Tombs.
Classification
A historical site comprising a group of rock-cut graves.
Date
Ninth century BCE.
Location
AlUla Governorate, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province.
Features
One of 110 carved tombs in Hegra Archaeological City.
Represents the remaining ruins of the Dadan Kingdom.
It now serves as an open-air museum for visitors as part of tours exploring Hegra Archaeological City.
Its design represents an example of Nabataean architecture in the Arabian Peninsula.
Structure characteristics
The tombs were carved into red rocks.
Their facades are topped with sculpted statues of four kneeling lions.
Inscriptions and texts written in the Minaean language appear at the center of the facades.

Table of contents

Info Box

Name
Lion Tombs.
Classification
A historical site comprising a group of rock-cut graves.
Date
Ninth century BCE.
Location
AlUla Governorate, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province.
Features
One of 110 carved tombs in Hegra Archaeological City.
Represents the remaining ruins of the Dadan Kingdom.
It now serves as an open-air museum for visitors as part of tours exploring Hegra Archaeological City.
Its design represents an example of Nabataean architecture in the Arabian Peninsula.
Structure characteristics
The tombs were carved into red rocks.
Their facades are topped with sculpted statues of four kneeling lions.
Inscriptions and texts written in the Minaean language appear at the center of the facades.