Al Ula or Madain Shale is the city of the Prophet Saleh. It is a cursed town. The oldest and the most forbidden cities in Saudi Arabia. The prophet Muhammad himself avoided the places with curse and instructed His Companions to move fast from those places. Al Ula was neglected for centuries, and despite efforts by the Saudi government to promote it as a tourist attraction. Madain Saleh literally means “Cities of Saleh” after the pre-Islamic Prophet Saleh. God cursed the area to destroy the Thamuds for their cruelty and idol worshipping. All were destroyed before they realized what was happening. As for the people who believed in the message of Saleh (PBUH), they were saved because they had left the place.
