A Dream of Alula

A visual exploration of fabled landscapes and historical gems, this magnificent volume celebrates the rich culture of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, through the lens of Gilles Bensimon. The AlUla valley is a natural, historical, and cultural site in northwestern Saudi Arabia, located in the Medina Region on the ancient Incense Route. It is home to grandiose natural landscapes, oases, and ancient settlements. The country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising exceptionally preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of sandstone outcrops, it's a hidden treasure awaiting to be discovered. A journey through space, time, and the senses, this oversized tome offers the unique experience of traveling to a mythical land and little-known paradise. Exclusive images by the acclaimed French photographer Gilles Bensimon reveal the poetic aspects and magnificence of age-old desert landscapes and highlight the lives that they are home to. From lush green oases to barren expanses; from drifting sand to basalt uplands; from geomorphological wonders to millennia-old inscriptions; from elaborate pre-Islamic tombs to Bedouins going about their daily lives and camels racing alongside cars--these are just some of the unforgettable scenes of AlUla.