Qasr al-Farid, the tomb of Lihyan son of Kuza

History

Qasr al-Farid means “the lonely castle”. The name comes from its position, set apart from the other tombs of Hegra (Saudipedia).

It is not a castle. It is a tomb, numbered IGN 110 by archaeologists. It is carved into a rock about 23 metres high and 18 metres wide. The entrance to the burial chamber is about 4 metres above the ground (hegraconservation.com, after L. Nehmé).

A short inscription in Nabataean is carved above the door. It has two readings, because one letter is ambiguous. One reading gives “For Hayyan son of Kuza and his descendants”. The other gives “Lihyan son of Kuza took possession of it” (J. F. Healey, 1993). The inscription is not dated.

Archaeologists date the tomb to between about the year 0 and the year 30 AD (hegraconservation.com).

The facade is unfinished. The lower part of the pilasters is not carved. The chisel marks are still visible, especially in low-angled light. They show the stages of the stonecutters' work. The archaeologist Laïla Nehmé thinks the tomb changed owners before the original owner had his name carved on it.

The tomb is part of the site of Hegra, inscribed by UNESCO in 2008. According to Saudipedia, it can only be seen from the outside: entry is not allowed.

This place is on the land of al-Hijr. The reminder of the Prophet ﷺ applies here: pass through it with humility, reflecting (see the Hegra entry).

What is certain and what is not

• Certain: it is a Nabataean tomb, dated around 0-30 AD (hegraconservation.com, after Nehmé 2015).
• Certain: the facade is unfinished.
• Historians' account: the owner's name reads “Lihyan” or “Hayyan”, son of Kuza. Both readings exist.
• Uncertain: who exactly this man was. Saudipedia makes him an inhabitant of the kingdom of Lihyan; this point is not confirmed by the inscription.

Sources

1. Saudipedia, Qasr Al-Farid. https://saudipedia.com/en/qasr-al-farid
2. Hegra Conservation, tomb IGN 110 (after L. Nehmé, Les tombeaux nabatéens de Hégra, vol. II, Paris, AIBL, 2015, p. 184-187; J. F. Healey, The Nabataean Tomb Inscriptions of Madaʾin Salih, Oxford, 1993, p. 174). https://hegraconservation.com/tombs/ign110
3. UNESCO, Hegra Archaeological Site. https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/1293
4. Google Arts & Culture (UNESCO), Qasr al-Farid, tomb IGN110. https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/qasr-al-farid-tomb-ign110-al-hijr-archaeological-site-madâin-sâlih/5QFh-DdXBNEqkA