Media
Amazing moment… A British woman sees for herself the only Egyptian Cartouche in Saudi Arabia.
January 2023
In 2010 a Saudi team discovered what is believed to be the cartouche of King Rameses III, Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty in Ancient Egypt (1186 - 1155 BCE). Describing her passion for the history, culture and natural beauty of Saudi Arabia, Sheila told of how she was very excited to be able to view it herself.
Historians believe that such inscriptions were only engraved in the presence of the pharaoh himself. If this is the case, he ventured into ARABIA and to Tayma (Tabuk Province) thousands of years ago. It adds weight to the theory that there was a direct trade route linking the Nile Valley with Tayma in the 12th century BCE. It facilitated, many believe, the trade of precious goods, not only incense, but of also copper, gold and silver that the ancient mines of the area are famous for.
This whole region was a busy part of the Incense Road. Goods and people travelled from and to the southern Arabian kingdoms, caravans stopping at Madinah, Khaybar, AlUla and Tayma oases to name but a few. From here the road split, some going to Mesopotamia and others to the Mediterranean. Most people will just think of Incense (that was used as offerings in temples), but it was a lot more than that. It would have been a meeting of cultures, traditions, religions and the all-important control of, by kings and queens.
Standing in front of the only Egyptian cartouche to be found in Saudi Arabia (so far) is a memory Sheila will not forget.
A British woman flies over 400-year-old ancient castle in the heart of the Saudi desert.
January 2023
This article focuses on the flight Sheila made in a microlight over a stunning fort in Tabuk province, Saudi Arabia. Flying with Erth, aerial documentation team, the flight was not without its challenges as it was so cold. Having first visited the castle a couple of years previously, she was very excited to see such an historic landmark from the air.
Qal’at al Mu’azzam was built to protect the water reservoir alongside. This birka (بركة), water tank, pond or pool, provided a much needed source of water for travellers along the Syrian Hajj route.
Although the main inscription plate on the fort itself states it was finished in 1621 CE, there are many earlier references to the site, in particular the pool of water alongside. For example, Ibn Battuta (1304-1369), a Muslim scholar & explorer, states that the caravan stops at the pool of al-Mu’azzam, a vast basin named after al-Malik al-Mu’azzam, who some believe was Sharaf ad-Din al-Mu’azzam Isa, an Ayyubid Sultan who ruled Damascus in 1218-1227 CE. Why it was named after him no one knows. It’s common to name places/buildings after important visitors so maybe he visited there once?
Later the fortress was built to protect the pool and provide shelter to pilgrims, along with garrisoning soldiers who guarded the route.
The video she posted on her Instagram account SaudiTravelNotes, proved very popular. At the time the article was published by CNN Arabic, it had been viewed over a quarter million times. This shows how much interest there is in the history of the region Sheila commented.
British woman finds a hidden rock pool in the NEOM desert, Saudi Arabia.
September 2022
This article details the discovery of a rock pool carefully hidden in the folds of the Hisma desert. Sheila chanced upon it while exploring through this amazing area, in the Tabuk region, Northwest Saudi Arabia, which is now part of NEOM.
People have been travelling through this area for millennia. There are thousands of rock drawings / petroglyphs detailing the lives and journeys of those who have gone before and not far away is Al Bad’a - another Nabatean site with carved tombs (smaller than the more well-known Hegra in AlUla).
The pool is tucked away out of the sun in a ‘turn back’ or inlet. When rain falls over the rock surface above it drains down into the bowl below. Whilst it is a natural rock formation, there has been human modification in the past. The rock has been chiselled away to help channel water into the pool. Steps have also been cut into the rock to allow one to climb up to higher areas.
Sheila comments that the tool marks are similar to those found in the walls of the Nabatean tombs in Al Bad’a. This is only her personal theory though. The Nabatean people were skilled when it came to water capture and storage in the desert. “Maybe I’ve made too big a jump in connecting the two”, she says, “but it’s fun to speculate!”
A Puzzling Scene.. What is the truth behind the wreckage of an old plane on this beach in SAUDI ARABIA?
November 2020
This article tells of how Sheila documented the story of Thomas Kendall, a rich American businessman who was touring the world with his family in a converted US Catalina seaplane in 1960.
After landing on the beach at Ras Sheikh Hamid (on the north-western tip of Saudi Arabia), they were shot at by locals who mistakenly thought they were under attack. All on board survived but the plane has remained there ever since.
The wreckage has become a tourist destination in recent years and sits in an imposing site, just over the water from Egypt. It is now listed as a NEOM Historical Location and Recreational Area.
Tombs carved into the rocks in Saudi Arabia dating back to the Nabatean era…. What is their secret?
November 2020
You could be mistaken for thinking this is Mada’in Saleh at first glance, but no, it’s a relatively little-known Nabataean site situated at Al Bada’, directly west of Tabuk near Magna on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Many believe Al Bad’a is the ancient city of Midian (مدين), mentioned in the Torah, Bible and Quran, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It also goes by the name Mugha’ir Shu’ayb and is where Moses supposedly sought refuge after fleeing from Egypt.
The Nabatean necropolis dug into the hillside of Jebel Mussalla are similar to the ones at Petra in Jordan and Mada’in Saleh/Hegra at Al Ula.
Their shapes differ, some have smartly carved facades, but others are just very basic openings. Inside they vary greatly too. Some have square recesses set into the back of the cave, yet others have rectangular pits with clear ridges for lids of some sort. Were they for storage, entombment of bodies? Maybe both !
The article goes on to detail how Sheila describes visiting with the visitor centre giving lots of additional information.
It witnessed a meeting with the President of Egypt…..What is the story of this abandoned palace in Saudi Arabia.
July 2020
Sheila recalls her visit to this historic house, a fine example of the elegance and sophistication of the period.
Abdullah Al-Suleiman Palace or JABRA Palace as it is more widely known, dates back to the early 1900’s when several houses of similar style were built in Taif.
It is named after Jabra Al-Makhzumiyya who was wife of the Emir of Mecca & Taif in the Umayyad era. The whole area around the palace is still called Jubrah today and is known for its agriculture with Wadi Wej running through it.
The palace features Islamic style combined with Roman flourishes. There are beautiful hand painted Quranic verses and inscriptions, along with tall columns and stunning turquoise arches. Doorways are tall with wooden panelling above.
The large pool at the front of the building is a lovely organic shape. It would have allowed for a stunning reflection of the front of the house when full of water. Many of these features are repeated in other houses of this period such as Kateb, Kaki and AlBogari, nearer the centre of Taif. AlBogari Palace even has a pool of the same shape. It is said Crown Prince Saud stayed here in 1953 after completing Hajj, just before he became King. He also hosted the Egyptian President at the house.
