Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – February 26, 1998

After the morning prayer, I wrote yesterday's memoirs; it became detailed. At the same time, I was watching the video film of the holy sites of Medina that they had put on the hotel television; it is a good work for the pilgrims who are usually here.

A group of companions came to say goodbye and go to Mecca. After considering the attractions of the trip to Mada'in Saleh, they decided to join our group, which caused a space problem on the plane. At ten in the morning we went to Medina Airport and flew toward Al-Ula Province by two Saudi C-130 planes.

We landed at a dirt airport beside the Mughira area. The governor and the province's officials welcomed. The governor is Prince Sudairi. By car we moved toward Mada'in Saleh. On the way we went to a stopping place that they had arranged in the desert for hospitality and introduction, in a place where there were abundant wild tamarisk, sidr, qaych, and iskambill bushes. They had set up several large and luxurious tents, and a group of camel riders accompanied us.

From there we went to the city of Al-Ula; a city stretched along a green and mountainous valley. The surrounding mountains are very beautiful and colorful, and they call them the bride of the mountains of Saudi Arabia. Most of the trees are palm and citrus, and more than 100 wells irrigate them, which were previously springs, and with the lowering of the water level they have dug wells. They said rain falls very little in this region, and especially this year, which according to them is less than 12 millimeters.

In the city we went to the museum. They gave explanations about the region's ancient artifacts. We prayed the noon and afternoon prayers led by me. By bus we went toward Mada'in Saleh. The entire 20-kilometer route was a green valley. Beside the mountains, masses of white sand had gathered; apparently they gather with strong seasonal storms.

We got off at the Mada'in Saleh site; it is an interesting place. It is a plain covered with sand, and here and there short rocky mountains have raised their heads, and around it a mountain range surrounds it in a C shape, and according to the guide, this same surrounding shape has caused it to be named "Hijr"; similar to the Hijr of Ishmael, and there is also a village in the region called "Hijr" that is still standing, and they suspect it is the same Hijr mentioned in the Quran that "And the companions of the Hijr denied the messengers." Around several hills, rooms or several connected rooms have been built that are carved into the mountain.

They said a total of 140 units have been discovered and registered so far, and they have given names to many of them. Their facades are also built similarly, and they have carved the mountain very smoothly and interestingly, and sometimes it is dozens of meters high. If these belong to the people of Saleh, which were built about seven thousand years ago, they must have had advanced tools. We visited a large number of them.

A few kilometers further, they showed a mountain from which Saleh's she-camel came out. The dominant opinion is that this region is the same one that has come many times in the Quran that after the killing of Prophet Saleh's she-camel, divine punishment descended on the people of Thamud and destroyed the houses built in the plain, and these houses built in the mountains remained, and they themselves perished. There he said that another opinion is that the builder of these is another person named Saleh in later histories and does not have that much historical antiquity, and the plain has not yet been excavated for the discovery of buried artifacts.

Then we visited a small caravanserai from the Islamic era from 700 years ago and an Ottoman-era train station beside it; of course, the Saudi family has destroyed this line that extended to Medina. In the hall where the locomotive repair shop was, there were also a locomotive and a wagon.

By another route we returned to the same desert stopping place for lunch. They had made a great effort to show customs and traditions in preparing lunch; apparently they had been told from Riyadh to act in such a way that the desert program that was supposed to happen in Riyadh and did not happen would be carried out here, and it was.

They had roasted a camel and arranged it on a large tray with various other foods around it. They had spread our tablecloth around it. We sat on the ground and ate; from chicken and fish and head and tongue and heart and kidney and rice and kebab to tahini and honey. Mr. Hossein Mahlouji was fasting; he had made a vow. Mr. Issa Kalantari was also unwell and remained in the car.

Then in another tent that was similar to our black tents but large, tea and mint were served in an interesting style; I did not think the Arabs were this tasteful. At that same time, the time for the afternoon prayer came. The Prince went to the other side of the tent and prayed.

We went to the airport. On the return, our plane circled over Mada'in Saleh so that we could see the scene from above. I gave an interview to Saudi radio about the Al-Ula region. The people and officials were very grateful for this trip and said I am the first high-ranking Islamic figure to have gone there.

Near sunset we reached Medina. I read the news from the computer. Mr. Iranmanesh came. He gave advice about the manner of meeting with the Shia of Nukhayla and spoke about their problems. At nine-thirty at night we went for the pilgrimage of the Holy Shrine.