Hegra, known to Muslims as Al-Hijr, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the Nabataean Kingdom. The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost settlement and it second largest city after Petra, its capital city. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.
The Quran places the settlement of the area by the Thamudi people during the days of Salih, between those of Nuh and Hud on one hand, and those of Ibrahim and Musa on the other. However, a definitive historical chronology can not be obtained through the order of verses due to the fact that the Quranic chapters deal with different subjects in non-chronologic order. According to the Islamic text, the Thamudis were punished by God for their idolatry, struck by an earthquake and lightning blasts. Thus, the site has earned a reputation as a cursed place—an image which the national government is attempting to overcome as it seeks to develop Mada'in Salih for its potential for tourism.