The incredible abandoned city full of 7,000-year-old tombs and without the crowds of Egypt

AlUla Old Town in is an abandoned town-turned-archaeological site that could date back 7,000 years. The ancient town, brimming with heritage buildings, mosques and markets dating back around seven centuries, is . It appears as a single structure due to its densely packed 870 residential units, separated by narrow, winding alleys.

The town is split into two districts: al-Shqiq in the north and al-Hilf in the south. The exact timeline of when AlUla Old Town was . The twelfth-century settlement we see today was constructed on an archaeological tell, indicating previous inhabitants.

Some houses incorporate stone blocks inscribed with dates from , likely repurposed from earlier Dadanite period ruins.

Given its proximity to ancient trade routes and its location at the narrowest point of the fertile AlUla Valley, the area may have been inhabited for thousands of years.

What is known is that after 1200CE, Old Town became a significant hub for travel and trade, remaining occupied until the 1980s when to a newly built city nearby.

Viewed from above, AlUla Old Town appears tiny, nestled against the valley’s steep sandstone cliffs with date palms around its edges.

AlUla adopted irrigated agriculture during the first millennium BCE, and evidence of qanats – ancient water supply systems – can be found alongside the many wells in Old Town.

As the population expanded, houses were constructed onto existing ones, their outer walls deliberately linked to form a defensive barrier that eventually enclosed

The southern end of the site has been restored by conservationists as an award-winning cultural centre with local shops and restaurants.

While this ancient town was visited by over 260,000 people in 2023, the crowds are still not comparable to those who every year flock to the Valley of the King in Egypt – which two years ago attracted an estimated 2.8 million people.