Here lies the city of AlUla in the west of Saudi Arabia — a quiet oasis that once lied in the folds and creases of history, falling sound asleep in the pages of books and the memories of travellers.
This oasis awakens today, lifting the veil off its face like a beautiful woman, revealing the treasures that have preserved its rich civilisations over time.
Here lies the unfolding trade routes that tell the story of how different peoples met, teaching us about the first Arab men, the journey and interweaving of cultures, the stories and secrets that are still buried, and others that declare themselves from the top of beautifully carved mountains, painting a masterpiece that delights the eye and takes the world’s breath away.
In recent news, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) announced the reconstruction of one of the features of this ancient Arab civilisation. It is allowing its archeologists to digitally reconstruct the structure of the face of a woman dating back to the Nabataean era.
Known by the name of Hinat, she was an elite woman thought to have died in the first century BC and buried in a tomb for more than 2000 years. She was discovered again in 2008 in Al Hajar.
A reconstructed face of an ancient woman known as "Hinat", a member of the fascinating Nabataean civilisation that dates back over 2000 years, is displayed at the Hegra Welcome Centre.
Hinat — whose name is engraved next to her grave — wasn’t an ordinary woman. She was a noble lady in the Nabataean Kingdom.
Her great wealth allowed her to have her own burial site, the discovery of which revealed interesting facts about the social lives of Nabateans, their appearance, features, clothes, jewellery, and fashion.
Women enjoyed high status
Hinat wasn’t unique or an exception. She is a representation of the high status that Arab women enjoyed in the Nabataean civilisation, eventually becoming major partners in the governance of the country, and sometimes even queens.
Investigator and historian Ihsan Abbas highlights this issue in his book “History of the Nabataean State,” where he mentions that scholars have repeatedly said that Nabataean women enjoyed a prestigious status in society and that they were treated with great respect. Their rights were protected, and they had an independent legal authority.
Nabataean women enjoyed a prestigious status in society and that they were treated with great respect. Their rights were protected, and they had an independent legal authority. In short, they had freedom.
This is not surprising in a society whose most prominent deities embodied women's best features and characteristics. The goddess of fertility, Atargatis, assumed a revered status among the gods for Nabataeans. She rivalled with Zeus and Hadad in terms of power and control.
Additionally, Nabataean coins include numerous examples that show women possessing great power and authority. They depict the queen next to the king, along with her title.
Revealing inscriptions
Among other things that have guided scholars when studying the status of Nabataean women were references in inscriptions and papyrus to their rights to inherit, own, and dispose of their properties.
Successful archaeological discoveries have unveiled inscriptions that tell us about women who built expensive mausoleums, without the permission of their husbands, to serve as burial sites for their family members, including their granddaughters from their daughters.
Successful archaeological discoveries have unveiled inscriptions that tell us about women who built expensive mausoleums, without the permission of their husbands, to serve as burial sites for their family members, including their granddaughters from their daughters.
A large number of these inscriptions even note women's establishment of mausoleums for them and their children, without a mention of the children's father, noting that the inheritance of those graves went from the mother to her daughters without a mention of her sons.
A photograph shows an ancient Nabataean carved tomb at the archaeological site of al-Hijr (Hegra), near the northwestern Saudi city of AlUla, on February 3, 2023.
The role of the Nabataean woman in politics and governance was particularly evident in the era of King Rabel II (70-106 AD) who assumed the throne at a young age. His mother, Shaqilath, was appointed as his guardian, appearing on the first coins issued during his reign.
When he grew older, he was married to a woman called Jamila ("beautiful") who became the queen, and her pictures became the ones that appeared on the coins he issued.
Inscriptions dating back to his era were found from Al Hajar in the south to Al Dumayr in the north. One of those inscriptions was found in a tomb dedicated to Anisho (Anis, the brother of Shaqilath, the queen of Nabataeans."
The latest archaeological discoveries and evidence indicate that the names of the queens known so far from Nabatean history are Hagar the mother, Khuld or Kholoud, Shaqilath I, Shaqilath II, Jamila, and Hagar. They appeared on Nabataean coins and were always depicted next to the king on the left side of the coin.
One of those coins was one issued by King Rabel II in 75-76 AD, with its front side depicting a bust of King Rabel II along with his mother, Shaqilath. Another bronze coin was issued showing Rabel II, and on the back, his wife, Queen Jamila.
As a result of the high political status women enjoyed, they bore special titles in the Nabataean court, which differed according to their status and the nature of their relationship with the king.
The title "malikat", i.e. the Queen, was given to the king's wife as well as to the rest of the women of the Nabataean royal family, whether they were the wives of the king or not. Among other titles was "Ahat Malika," which means the king's sister. This was also a title given to the king's wife.
The title "Attata", meaning "his wife", was used for Queen Khuld, the wife of King Aretas IV, and the title "Umm Malika", meaning the mother of the king, was carried by Shaqilath II, the mother of the king, Rabel II, when she was his guardian.
This presence in the public space, along with the official documentation of the role of women in Nabataean society, was not limited to the ruling elite.
Rather, Nabataean inscriptions referred to the names of a number of women who played a wide range of roles in various aspects of life in Nabataean society.
Some studies have counted more than 65 names of Nabataean women whose names were mentioned in those inscriptions.
A picture taken on February 3, 2023 shows a man walking around Ancient Nabataean carved tombs at the archaeological site of al-Hijr (Hegra), near the northwestern Saudi city of AlUla.
These inscriptions, which are widely spread in Al Hajar (Madain Saleh), explain a woman's full right to own property, her financial independence, and other powers she had, such as buying and selling, renting, or gifting.
In an interesting scientific study, researcher Fatima Bakhshwin analysed the status of women in Nabataean inscriptions.
She concluded, through her review of a wide range of inscriptions, that women's names appear abundantly in stone inscriptions in Saudi Arabia and that the meanings of those names carried positive connotations signifying exaltedness, tranquility, peace, longevity, perfection, and protection.
Female newborns revered
The Nabataeans were known for their positive view of female newborns, giving them names that indicate joy at their arrival, such as Habu or Habiba.
Some of the names of prominent women in the inscriptions linked them to professions, suggesting their right to work, while other inscriptions even indicated hope that the newborn would master a certain profession in the future.
All this confirms that the reality of Arab women before Islam is very different from the historical narratives and common tales that depict them as despised, rejected, or deprived of their will.
In fact, archeological discoveries and inscriptions are closer to reality and are more indicative of the sophistication of societies in the Arabian Peninsula.
-Abdullah Al Rasheed is a Saudi academic and holder of a PhD in Islamic Culture. He is also the author of a book entitled "Hanbalis and Secularists"
