Qasr al Farid, the lonely castle of Madâin Sâlih

Within the city Madâin Sâlih, Saudi Arabia, the Qasr al Farid is carved in a rock and lies alone in the desert

If you go to Saudi Arabia, to the northeast of the country more precisely, there is an incredible and ancient monument of centuries that stands in the middle of nowhere. This unusual building is the lonely castle Qasr al Farid .

The lonely castle

Far from being a real castle, the building turns out to be an ancient tomb which was built in the 1st century of our era. Located on the archaeological site Madâin Sâlih , about 1400 km from Riyadh, the capital of the country, this tomb is the most photographed of the entire site.

The tomb is about 16 meters high and its peculiarity is that it is completely cut into the rock. The construction remains unfinished but it offers the opportunity to admire the work of man’s hand and the crude rock. Inside the tomb, the still unfinished room is about 4.50 meters out of 4.

Today, the lonely castle is listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most imposing and spectacular vestiges of the planet. It is the first Saudi monument to appear on the famous list.

A careful construction

Qasr al Farid is a unique monument of its kind by its dimensions but also by the concern of the details of its design. The tomb is isolated and occupies a whole bunch of a huge rock that stands alone in a desert plain.

While the bottom of the tomb remains unfinished, one can already excite in front of the beauty of the details of the upper part of the building: 4 pilasters adorn the front because of the imposing façade, the cornice is extraordinarily simple while the body of the moldings above the frieze is hinged.

Each detail forces admiration and one can wonder for which personality it was intended: at present, according to the latest scientific results, there would be no sepultures inside.

It should be noted that the site is now under permanent police surveillance and is not open to tourists: it is possible for expatriates working in Saudi Arabia to obtain authorization from the Department of Antiquities and Riyadh Museums on the recommendation of your embassy.

Other tombs of the city of Madâin Sâlih:

Main photo credit: Wikimedia – Richard.hargas