Qaryat (Al-Fau)
The ancient town of Qaryat is situated at about 700 km southwest of Riyadh. Its archaeological ruins known today as al-Fau, a name derived from its geographical location at a passageway through Tuwaiq mountains range where it intersects with wadi al-Dawasir , overlooking the northwestern edge of the Empty Quarter desert.
Confirmed from texts found at the site during excavations, Qaryat had been mentioned in ancient South Arabian documents as the capital of Kinda kingdom from the 1st century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. In antiquity the town flourished as a major trading post, located at the heart of ancient caravan roads, it had gained importance by its control over the only pass via Tuwaiq mountains range, from western and southwestern to eastern Arabia. Archaeological remains at the site, indicate that the town expanded to about 2 km north – south, and about 750 m. east – west.
The archaeological excavations carried out by King Saud University team, from 1970 to 2003, uncovered two major sectors of the town. The first; is a residential, consisted of houses, squares, streets and a market place. The second; is a sacred, consisted of temples and tombs. The general architectural plan is very indicative of pre-Islamic town in Arabia.