- Syrian artist and singer Faia Younan returns to Elephant Rock, the geological marvel of Nature and the highlight of AlUla.
- Maestro Naseer Shamma to revive the Music in Ancient Eras at Hegra, the UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival
- The world premiere of Nine Songs, a site-responsive, open-air, theatrical performance of music will take place amidst the extraordinary site of Wadi AlFann (Valley of the Arts).
AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – November 10th, 2022: AlUla Moments has introduced a series of outdoor musical concerts set among the exceptional landmarks around the ancient desert city of AlUla. The announced events will take place as part of the inaugural Ancient Kingdoms Festival, as part of AlUla Moments calendar of events from November 11th until November 27th, 2022. This new Festival will feature immersive experiences in the heritage sites of the past kingdoms that once lived in AlUla and the surrounded oases of Khaybar and Tayma.
Faia Younan at Elephant Rock
Faia Younan, the Syrian artist and singer will return to AlUla for the second time to perform an outdoor concert at Elephant Rock site on November 18th, 2022, accompanied by Maestro and Musician Rayan Habre who will lead the music band.
Elephant Rock is one of the most incredible rock formations in the world and a popular spot to visit in AlUla. Known in Arabic as Jabal AlFil, this huge rock appears like an elephant with a ground-bound trunk.
Last year, Faia performed in AlUla in a sold-out concert at Maraya, where she mesmerised her audience and fans with her mix of Arabic and Syriac songs. Her return to AlUla at the unique setting of Elephant Rock will be a not-to-miss concert.
Music in Ancient Eras with Maestro Naseer Shamma at Hegra
Maestro Naseer Shamma and his musical group, The Peace Builders, will return to AlUla to perform Music in Ancient Eras, an atmospheric musical night dedicated to the history of the Arabic Music and stories from around the world.
The concert will take place on the evening of November 24th, 2022 at the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra. Attendees will enjoy hearing the story of famous Incense Road, where civilisations and people have met for centuries as they exchanged ideas and goods along the route, which passed from north of Arabia, Egypt and beyond through the Oasis of AlUla down to south of Arabia and Yemen.
In a spectacular display of light, music and storytelling, Maestro Naseer Shamma and The Peace Builders will perform live – continuing this tradition of stories passing from thousands of generations before.
World premiere of Nine Songs at Wadi AlFann:
Nine Songs, created by Chinese musician, vocalist and artistic director Rui Fu, brings together a world-class ensemble of performers from across the globe. Working with artistic co-director Farooq Chaudhry and musical director Jocelyn Pook, Fu’s new work is inspired by the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), an ancient anthology of romantic Chinese poetry from the 1st century BC, while responding to the dramatic topography, undulating vistas, remarkable geological structures of AlUla.
The musical performance will take place in the Wadi AlFann landscape on Friday November 25th and Saturday November 26th, 2022 for a very limited number of attendees in the Art in the Landscape pavilion.
Wadi AlFann, meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’, will be an awe-inspiring new global cultural destination for contemporary art, where era-defining works by some of the most compelling artists from around the world will be permanently placed in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-west Saudi Arabia steeped in thousands of years of natural, historical and cultural heritage.
Continuing to find unique places to host arts and musical events, last month, renowned French-Algerian singer Souad Massi performed at AlUla Old Town for a first-time concert at this unique heritage site, and launched her latest album “Sequana” in an intimate night of French and Arabic music.
AlUla Moments will continue the outdoor musical nights with a variety of local, regional and international artists around the heritage and natural landmarks of AlUla, in addition to musical concerts at the world’s largest mirrored building of Maraya in the heart of Ashar Valley.
About AlUla Moments:
AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home of events. The brand was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced four new festivals to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7000 years of civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient Kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gathering and cultural celebrations.
The four festivals introduced were Winter at Tantora, which returned to celebrate heritage, culture and music, in addition to the AlUla Skies, AlUla Arts and AlUla Wellness Festival.
The festivals offered a selection of experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian, food and astronomy. All of which were celebrating the culture, history and legacy of AlUla and the civilisations that once called the land of AlUla their home.
This year, AlUla Moments presents five Major festivals and five distinct events, including the return of Winter at Tantora and AlUla Wellness Festival, The return of AZIMUTH and for the first time The Ancient Kingdoms Festival will be introduced, to bring the past into the present with experiences inspired by the significance of 7000 years of successive civilisations on the Arabian Peninsula and the famed incense road trading route that cemented AlUla as the bustling commercial and cultural crossroad.
For more information, please visit experiencealula.com/en/alula-moments
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages. Also AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, and Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
For more information, please visit: www.experiencealula.com
