The world is full of secrets. Especially many mysteries are associated with ancient structures. Do you like everything mysterious? Are you interested in those questions that historical science cannot find answers to? Then you should definitely read about one truly ancient and very strange castle in the desert.
Mysterious structure
In sultry Saudi Arabia, a mysterious building stands among the sands. More precisely, it is not even quite a building. Most of it is a huge rock. The ancient masters began to process it, but never finished it. A beautiful facade arose under their hands: stairs, columns … And all around there is a desert, only the wind raises sand whirlwinds … It is not in vain that this strange structure was called the Lonely Castle. In Arabic it sounds like this: Qasr al-Farid.
In fact, this is not a castle. Nobody has ever lived in it. This is a tomb. True, even this definition does not quite fit the mysterious structure. The fact is that no one was buried here. Obviously, the "castle" was originally conceived for burial. But for reasons unknown to us, this burial did not take place.
Why was construction interrupted? The answer to this question has not yet been found. Interestingly, the processing of the rock was started from the top. Gradually the builders moved down. This has been established by modern scientists.
Who was the failed deceased? Obviously, he held a high position in society. Only for such people were tombs of this scale erected.
The halo of mystery surrounding the "palace" attracts many tourists and scientists here. And the secrets still remain unsolved.
The ancient kingdom of the Nabataeans
At the time when the building was erected, this territory belonged to the Nabataean kingdom. The construction was built at the very beginning of our era.
At that time, the kingdom was powerful enough. An important caravan route passed through its lands. It was of great importance for international trade at that time. Here, in an endless stream, caravans were loaded with spices and incense. The ancient cities were rustling, from which today only ruins remained. On the territory of one of these cities there is a mysterious "castle".
The city was called al-Hijr. It also has other names. He is also called Madain-Salih or Hegra. A complex was built here, which includes more than 100 burials. Part of the complex is the mysterious "palace".
If you look closely at the facade of the tomb, you can see a lot of interesting things. Elements typical for ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian architecture are used here. The Assyrian influence is also felt. Not surprising: the caravan route involved active international communication.
The end of the history of the ancient kingdom is sad. It was conquered by the Romans and ceased to exist. Only inscriptions on stones and tombs among the sands remained …
Modernity
The "castle" (like the entire complex of which it is a part) is protected by UNESCO. He received this status 13 years ago.
A dumb façade that keeps the secrets of bygone eras makes the imagination work. New versions appear about who and when could have built such a thing. Some believe that for the ancient masters the work is too accurate, too large-scale. The strangest assumptions arise. Here is some of them:
- ancient civilizations unknown to us;
- alien builders;
- incorrect dating of the structure.
Of course, few people seriously believe that the mysterious building was built by aliens. Many are sticking to more realistic versions. But, one way or another, the flow of travelers does not dry out here.
If you love everything mysterious, you should see the strange "palace" with your own eyes. The photographs do not convey the feeling that tourists get near this building. The amazing landmark will literally captivate you. Visit the "castle" and see for yourself!
