Al-Hijr is an archaeological world heritage site in Saudi Arabia whose original name was Madain Salih; according to scholars this site was formerly called Hegra. History of this site is read through some ‘50 inscriptions of the pre-Nabatean period and 111 monumental tombs’, and therefore the site is dated to 1^st c B.C. to the 1^st c A.D.

Use of terms like Hijr, Madain Salih, Hegra, Mecca, and Nabatean with this heritage site, which according to scholars, collectively bears ‘witness to the encounter between a variety of decorative and architectural influences (Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician, Hellenistic), and the epigraphic presence of several ancient languages (Lihyanite, Thamudic, Nabataean, Greek, Latin)’, reflect academic confusion on these terms and on the history of this site and on history of its people. They are all different and putting all of them at one archaeological site means division of world history of a single geographical pocket.

The 15^th Surah of the Quran is also known by the name of Al-Hijr, and this Surah again is called Makkan Surah by scholars of the Quran.

According to Unesco, ‘The site of Al-Hijr is located at a meeting point between various civilisations of late Antiquity, on a trade route between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean world and Asia…’ and it was ‘abandoned’ during the pre-Islamic period due to unfavourable climatic conditions.

Saudi Arabia is a coined name of two places: Saudi and Arabia; while the former identifies itself with Sada Nagar of history or Sideon(also Sidon) of the classics, the latter pinpoints the City of Rabi or Sun near Panchaia. So scholarship on Al-Hijr should see all names connected with this site weave a single story of the ancient world history. Term Saudi originated from the word sauda and saudaghar means household items and a big merchant respectively

These terms relatively describe a single story of a single land; they hold their ancient identity as follows:

Salih or Hadrat Salih —Jerusalem; Hadrat means Hade of the Bible

Hijr—Hazor, or Luz, or Mt Zered or Mt Hor identified with Hasti also;

Madain—Medea or Midian or Madra near Mt Zered

Salih—Sullum, or Suli, or river Ulay or Aulis near Seir near Madra’

Hegra—Agni , or Yakni connected with the Volcano near Jerusalem

Nabatean—Mt nebo or Naba or nabhi or ‘navel’ or the centre of the earth

Mecca—Pinpoints Mokkaswar or the God of Salvation at Baku, the land of the Baktrians at the foot of the Mt Imaos or Meru.