Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra

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Illustration

Carole Raddato
by
published on 21 February 2024
Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra Download Full Size Image

The Tomb of the Lion of Kuza (Qasr al-Farid) is a 1st-century CE Nabatean unfinished tomb carved into a single huge rock in Hegra (Madain Saleh) in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Nabatea's second capital after Petra. Qasr al-Farid is isolated from the rest of the tombs, lying in the southeastern part of Hegra. It is the largest tomb, with a height of about 22 metres (72 ft), and is the one with four large pilasters decorating the façade. The inscription above the entrance says: "... for Lihyan son of Kuza (and) his descendants...".

Hegra was the southernmost capital of the Nabatean people, a once-nomadic Arabian tribe that settled and grew wealthy from trade in frankincense, spices and other luxury commodities. The Nabatean city peaked between about 50 BCE and 106 CE. Hegra is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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About the Author

Carole Raddato
Carole maintains the popular ancient history photo-blog Following Hadrian, where she travels the ancient world in the footsteps of Emperor Hadrian.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Raddato, C. (2024, February 21). Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/

Chicago Style

Raddato, Carole. "Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 21, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/.

MLA Style

Raddato, Carole. "Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Feb 2024. Web. 26 Dec 2024.

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