AlUla, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in Medina province of northwestern Saudi Arabia, has been included in the list of Seven Wonders of the World 2023, selected by award-winning author, Mr. Aaron Miller.
AlUla is a place of extraordinary history and cultural heritage. At the end of 2022, the site officially opened its doors to visitors and, in doing so, unveiled a more than a 200,000-year-old piece of Arabian history.
It is situated in Saudi Arabia’s northwest desert, part of which remains undiscovered. It is estimated that less than 5 percent of the site has been excavated.
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Hegra is famous for its elaborate monumental tombs carved into stark red sandstone cliffs, AlUla Old Town is a labyrinth of now abandoned mud brick houses strewn with the earthy hues of the desert. There’s ancient rock art and restaurants from to-name chefs, including Maraya, set up by Michelin-starred chef Mr. Jason Atherton, and located on top of the largest mirrored building in the world.
The Great Pyramids of Giza is the only remaining of the original Seven Wonders of the World. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon have all been ruined. So, Mr. Millar decided to list seven new wonders of the world every year, picking “the most awe-inspiring places on the planet for star-gazing, wildlife spotting and astonishing panoramas.”
Besides AlUla, other sites listed among Millar’s Seven Wonders of the World for 2023 include, Mont Saint-Michel in France, Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan, Cappadocia in Turkey, The Lake District in Great Britain, and The Sardine Run in South Africa.
