SkyWatch - Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

This past week I have featured posts from my magical weekend trip to Al Ula where I attended the unforgettable first ever Winter at Tantora Festival.  The festival has attracted performers and visitors from the world over and has kicked off Saudi Arabia's offical entry into the world of tourism with a bang.  From the world class concerts to the mystical terrain, to the historical significance of the area, to the warmth of the local people, Al Ula is one of the world's few relatively obscure gems.

Incredible sandstone rock formations are the geographical features that dominate this area of northwestern Saudi Arabia and inspired the ancient Nabataean civilzation to turn many of the huge rocks into carved tombs.  My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

The natural beauty of the area is stunningly breathtaking.  As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area is primed to become one of the most popular tourist detinations in Saudi Arabia, after the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which attract millions of religious tourists every year.

Madein Saleh has been closed to the public in preparation for tourism, but it was opened temporarily for the visitors of the Winter at Tantora Festival, which is running for ten weekends through Feb, 23.  This historical site of Nabataean tombs will then be closed again until sometime next year.

This last photo is of Rainbow Rock and my friend and fellow blogger Laura who writes the blog Blue Abaya.  She has explored more places in Saudi Arabia than anyone else I know.  Her videos and photos of this kingdom are truly spectacular.  You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @BlueAbaya

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Madein Saleh - Qasr al Farid

The iconic tomb of Madein Saleh is called Qasr at Farid (which means Palace of Farid).  It has become the symbol of this historical archaeological site of the Nabataean civilization and this particular tomb is unique for a couple of reasons.   

First is the fact that it is isolated and stands alone - there are no other tombs carved out of the same sandstone rock that it occupies.  

The second difference is that Qasr al Farid has two extra columns flanking the doorway of the tomb -  a total of four, instead of the usual two for all other tombs in Madein Saleh.  My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

For more information about the interesting history of Madein Saleh, CLICK HERE.

Al Ula - Madein Saleh "The Guitar"

"The Guitar" is a well known sandstone rock formation in Madein Saleh, which is 22 kilometers from Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.  Madein Saleh is rich in history and was the first archaeological site in Saudi Arabia to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

From the right position, you can see why this natural rock formation, with its narrow passageway between the rocks, is called "The Guitar."  At a certain time of day, an ethereal effect can happen when the position of the sun in the sky is just right, as the below photo shows.

Note: Winter at Tantora in Al Ula has been extended through Feb. 23rd, adding two more weekends of world class artistic entertainment.  Buy your tickets here:   Winter at Tantora 

Our World - Al Ula Barzan

One of the eleven different tours offered at the Winter at Tantora Festival in Al Ula is a trip to Barzan Resort for a Saudi style luncheon amidst the peaceful palm treed grounds. A traditionally dressed server greets guests as they enter, offering a small cup of gahwa (Arabic coffee).

Black tents with white stripes which are made of goat hair are situated around the grounds.  Inside the tents are vendors offering handmade crafts made by Saudi women, such as beaded veils and jewlery.

An assortment of delicious Saudi dishes is served for lunch in a large open air carpeted area with Bedouin style seating on the floor.

It was definitely a true unforgettable Saudi experience, as the entire Weekend at Tantora Festival was.

To read more about my experience at the Winter at Tantora Festival in Al Ula, CLICK HERE.

My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Al Ula - Shaden Resort Residential Tents

On my recent trip to Al Ula for the first ever Winter at Tantora Festival, we stayed at a residential tent resort called Shaden.  There are three such residential tent resorts in Al Ula now.  Al Ula's striking landscape is other worldly, consisting of interestingly shaped immense sandstone rock formations  nestled on soft sand dunes. These rocks provide the backdrop for every vantage point in Al Ula.  

Right outside my tent was this Saudi "majlis" Bedouin style seating set with a fire pit.  The residential tents offer all the comforts of home - in a tent!  The room interiors are nicely appointed, with comfy beds, TVs, a lovely bath with a hair dryer, and amenities like a coffee machine, fridge, iron and ironing board in each room, and even electrical outlets with USB ports on them.

To read more about my experience at the Winter at Tantora Festival in Al Ula, CLICK HERE.

My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

Al Ula's New Concert Hall "Maraya"

It might be difficult to figure out exactly what you are looking at here in the first picture.  To the left is the natural sandstone rock landscape of Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.  On the right is a reflection of that landscape mirrored on the front of the new concert hall called "Maraya" which means mirror in Arabic.  You can see the entrance to the building in the lower right corner of the photo.  Two sides of the building are entirely covered in large mirrored tiles.

Perhaps you can see it a bit better from this angle.  Now you can see another part of the building as well, the white section which was used as a huge dining hall the evening before.

The above shot shows the front of the building reflecting the landscape behind me as I took the photo.  The walkway to the entrance is at the bottom and you can also see the sky at the top and the natural setting of the rocks to the right.

The above pic is one of my favorite photos that I took of the building Maraya.  The corner of the building is at the upper left section of the photo.  If you look closely, you can actually see the lines of the mirrored tile panels that cover the surface of the building.  At the bottom is the top of one of the big lanterns that line the walkway leading to the entrance of the concert hall.

To the right is the natural landscape and my friend Laura, an adventurous Finnish woman who lives in Riyadh and writes the awesome blog Blue Abaya.  Be sure to follow her on Instagram @BlueAbaya, where she has posted some amazing videos taken from helicopters over the landscape of Al Ula!  Her Twitter handle is also @BlueAbaya

Laura has also written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

This last photo shows the corner of the building where the two mirrored sides meet.  To the left is the natural landscape.  The setting sun is reflecting on the side of the building to the right.  Last weekend I was fortunate to be able to attend an amazing concert in this venue as part of the Winter at Tantora Festival where I saw the fantastic Chinese pianist Lang Lang along with a phenomenal Chinese orchestra. To read more about the spectacular concert, CLICK HERE.  

Women Working in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

I'm so happy when I see Saudi women working here in Saudi Arabia.  After all, it wasn't that long ago when Saudi women were restricted from working in fields other than education and medicine.

On a recent visit to Al Ula for the Winter at Tantora Festival, I saw many Saudi women actually holding jobs working outdoors in the tourism sector at the historic site of Madein Saleh, known as the Petra of Saudi Arabia.  My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

Women were also working at the front desk of the Shaden Resort where I stayed - a very cool new concept that features residential tents for guests that have all the comforts of home.

Women joining the work force is one big change that has happened here in Saudi Arabia in the past few years, along with women driving since last June, which has enabled more women to work more easily.

Not only am I happy to see them working, they too are happy to be working!
To read more about my experience at the Winter at Tantora Festival in Al Ula, CLICK HERE.

SkyWatch: Saudi Tourists at Winter at Tantora

My husband isn't one for wanting to travel around in his own country to see the sights, so it's always gratifying to me when I do see other Saudis who have more of an interest is this country than my own husband does.  This past weekend I traveled to Al Ula for the first ever Winter at Tantora Festival. The highlight of each of the eight weekends of the festival is a special concert featuring world class musicians and performers from around the world.  It was the most amazing weekend trip I have ever taken.

My friend Laura of the amazing blog Blue Abaya has written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

To see my post about the concert I had the pleasure of attending at Winter at Tantora and to see the awesome venue, CLICK HERE.

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Jeddah's King Fahd Mosque

Jeddah's King Fahd Mosque is a study in Moroccan architectural design.  The intricate details and the variety of materials are woven together to achieve a very esthetically pleasing look.  The mosque is rather large but still manages to come off as very graceful.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

Jeddah's Sunflower Field Fountain at Dusk

The Sunflowers Fountain is one of my favorite sculptures in Jeddah.  I have never once seen the fountain in operation however - so I'm not sure if it's broken or what the problem with it is.  It sits in the middle of a lagoon near the Corniche which runs along the Red Sea coastline.  This graceful work of art is one of the few art pieces made for the city of Jeddah that is credited to a woman.  Eila Hiltunen was a Finnish sculptor who designed this stainless steel fountain in the 1980s. Her most famous artwork is the Sibelius Monument, located in Helsinki.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

Our World: Door of Oldest School in City

This beautiful old green door is from the oldest boy's school in Jeddah.  Located in Al Balad, the oldest sector of the city, it is the school that my husband attended when he was a boy growing up in the area.  I believe the school is still operational, although many of the inhabitants have moved away to newer areas of the city.  The Quran stresses the importance of education.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Saudi Inlaid Furniture

Saudi taste tends to run on the fancy, overly designed, elegant side. This matching seating set plus coffee and end tables were found in a large office building's lobby near the elevator.  The furniture pieces have intricate designs of inlaid work adorning them.  The preference here seems to be for more ornate designs rather than practical or comfortable.  

Yemeni Style Restaurant Decor

There is a great little Yemeni restaurant we like to go to called Saharij Aden on Prince Majid Road.  It's not fancy, but the food is good and very reasonably priced.  Customers are accommodated in individual private rooms with seating on a carpeted floor with cushions.  Food is served on big shared platters.  The above photo is the decor on the outside of the building to the left of the main entrance.

This is a design on the interior of the restaurant.  Southern Saudi Arabia's architectural style is very similar to and greatly influenced byYemeni design.

Jeddah's King Fahd Fountain

Today's post features four photos of the world's tallest fountain, King Fahd's Fountain of Jeddah. Its spray reaches heights of over 300 meters, more than a third higher than the 2nd highest fountain in the world in St. Louis, Missouri. 

It is generally best viewed at the end of the day before sunset and is a spectacular sight that can be seen from many vantage points close to the Red Sea coastline during the evening because it is lit up.  It is a similar design to the fountain in St. Louis and another one in Geneva, Switzerland.

The base of the fountain is in the form of a large incense burner from which the forceful spray emanates.  It is only viewable from across the waters and is located on a peninsula which also houses a palace.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share these beautiful photos for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

SkyWatch: Jeddah's Seagull Sculpture

The Seagull sculpture is one of the world's tallest abstract sculptures. It is the work of Mustafa Senbel, an Egyptian artist.  Made of concrete and marble, The Seagull soars an impressive 55 meters into the sky.  As art, it portrays a seagull splashing into the water to catch its prey.  It is the work of Egyptian artist Mostafa Senbel. 

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Different Days, Same Subject

These three photos are a study in time of day and weather and how differently those can affect the results in photography. 

Each of these photos portrays a very different mood, based on the skies and the waters of the Red Sea. 

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share these beautiful photos for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Twitter @ayaa1977