Job Discussion Forums

lizziebennet · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 355

Hey guys,

So it looks like there is a possibility that my husband and I might be place in a Taibah campus situated in Al'Ula... I have googled it and it is really in the sticks...

Anyone been there while touring Saudi during long weekends? It is supposed to have a lot of dedanite and lihyanite ruins.

Anyone actually worked there lol

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject:

I'll tell ya something scarier than that, VS. Isn't "Ula" the sound that the Martian Fighting Machines made in the War of the Worlds?

U-la!!!

NCTBA Shocked

lizziebennet · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 355

NCTBA have you been smoking something?

I am picturing you living in your mom's converted basement playing computer games smoking it up and posting on Daves!

007 · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

He is not smoking something, he still under shock from the famous 2003 tragedy of the Magic Kingdom!

U-la-la!! Laughing

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

Have either one of you EVEN watched the War of the Worlds??? Shocked

NCTBA

P.s.- lizziebennet: As per your suspicion: I WISH! At least I could skip those expensive A'Dam layovers! Laughing

007 · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:04 pm Post subject:

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject:

Well, then...there ya go!

NCTBA

johnslat · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

Dear NCTBA,

Not to go off-topic, but . . . . .

"Did you know? The war cry that the Tripods make - which sounds like "Ulla" - was made with a didgeridoo and computer effects."

http://library.digiguide.com/lib/uk-tv-highlight/War+of+the+Worlds-7833/Film/

And, just n case (like me) you were wondering just what the heck a didgeridoo is:

http://www.laoutback.com/?gclid=CKqI05j1hZ0CFSFRagodkFiFaw

Regards,
John

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:16 pm Post subject:

Well, then! It's settled. That sound is NOT a figment of my imagination and I, decidedly, sigh, am not high!

You didgerididn't know what a didgeridoo was? John! I'm appalled!

NCTBA

johnslat · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:17 pm Post subject:

Regarding Al-`Ula

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-%60Ula

And some photos:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/natter_17/4/1202994000/tpod.html

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/276e3e/

trapezius · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:24 pm Post subject:

Al Ula is where the ruins called as "Mada'in Saleh" are located, about 400 km from Madinah, which were made by the same people who made the ruins at Petra in Jordan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, just as Petra is. The ruins are magnificent. They carved majestic homes right out of mountains.

I wasn't aware that there was a permanent settlement there, let alone one big enough to warrant a university campus there Shocked

.

You can read more info and see some nice pics here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Ula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mada'in_Saleh (pics)

Again, I can't see how they have a campus there. There are 2 hotels there that I know of, and their only clients are people who come to see the ruins.

You should contact the university for more information, especially any information on the internet they can point you to.

Here are the sites of the 2 hotels there:

http://www.mshotel.com.sa/ula.html
http://www.arac.com.sa/arac/english/ola_profile.html

Explore the sites to see if there is any more info there that will help. Good luck!

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Actually Trap... those were tombs, not homes... just like Petra - one of my favorite sites in the world. Iain Browning has probably the best book on Petra which explains the Nabateans and their architecture.

But we digress... I too was concerned that the only thing that came up on a google was the two hotels.

Lizzie... I would try to press for a location that is not so far off the beaten track.

VS

johnslat · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:26 am Post subject:

Dear veiledsentiments,
Apparently there are some homes there as well - though only about 700 years old

"In the 13th century the old city of Al-`Ula was built and many stones of the old dedanite and lihyanite ruins were reused. Al-`Ula now became the major settlement of the region again until modern times."
"Old 'Ula
An absolute MUST on your trip to Al 'Ula.
Go inside the old-town and see how the provincial urbanised Saudi population lived until the late 1970."

This seems to be photo of some of them

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/natter_17/4/1202994000/al-ula-008.jpg/tpod.html

Regards,
John

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:50 am Post subject:

Um...people, could we all PULEEZE get back to my digression on "Ula" being the sound made by the Martian Machines of Death in the "War of he Worlds"!!!

The thread was sooo much more interesting back then...

NCTBA