Cities of Saudi Arabia: Nedzhran

280 km south-east of Abha lies one of the most interesting and least visited cities of the Kingdom – Nazran.

Located almost on the border with Yemen, this ancient city stretches along Wadi-Nazran and inhabited for four thousand years. All these centuries, Nedzhran is an important center of trade routes, the main transshipment of the ancient path of incense, leading from traditional areas of cultivation of incense to European countries and east.

The main architectural monument of the Oasis is the Al-An Palace (El Aan, the colorful five-storey mansion on the rocky basement), but also worth seeing the Fort Neszhran (one of "The most useless" The fortresses of the region – built in 1942, in 1967 he was already left to the troops, since relations with Yemen have improved, but the beautiful carved elements of the windows and doors of the forty still attract here connoisseurs of traditional Arab aesthetics), a fortress mosque, as well as an excellent museum Nazhran (open from Saturday to Thursday, from 8.30 to 14.00, entrance is free) with a first-class collection on geology and ecology of the desert, an extensive exhibition of archaeological finds, local crafts, tools, and even photos provided by the museum by the famous Arabist, diplomat, researcher and spy Harry St. John Philby – a friend and classmate Jawaharlara Nehru and his father Kim Filby.

Nearby is the famous archaeological site Al-Ukudud (V in. to N. NS. – X B. N. NS., It is this place that is old hurried, it is interesting to note that until the VII century, these edges were inhabited exclusively Christians), and 400 km east – "Capital of Bedouin" The ball, known except other things with its sand dunes up to 100 meters high.