Oman & Saudi Arabia
Summary
Oman has been a crossroads of commerce for millennia, with ideas flowing from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, and across the Indian Ocean. 3rd Millennium BCE Akkadian traders came here from Mesopotamia for copper, Petra’s Nabateans for incense. Greek and Roman merchants rode the monsoon winds that blew them to India and back, and Arab seafarers used it as a base for trade to East Africa. Later, it would be Omani sailors piloting the Portuguese and Dutch explorers expanding the then known world. Over recent years Saudi Arabia has opened up to the world. The second part of this tour explores its incredible history from the ancient petroglyphs at Al-‘Ula to the Nabatean Rock cut tombs at Hegra and the historic Roshan in Jeddah. Alongside its history, we will be exploring Saudi’s spectacular desert environments.
What to Expect
- Follow in the footsteps of the ancient caravans on this unique tour as we explore a range of rock art, classical era and also Islamic sites
- Explore the striking Bronze Age conical tombs at Bat, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site
- Gaze in awe at the UNESCO-listed Nabatean rock-cut tombs at Hegra, reminiscent of Petra
- Discover the extraordinary UNESCO rock art at Jubbah dating back as early as the 10th millennium
- Explore Al-‘Ula Old Town inhabited from the 13th century AD and later abandoned
- Visit Rub’ al-Khali desert, also known as the Empty Quarter, the world’s largest area of continuous sand
