---
title: Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra
author: Carole Raddato
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2024-02-21
---

# Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra

_Authored by [Carole Raddato](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/FollowingHadrian/)_

## Image File

[![Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/18501.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/18501.jpg)

## Image Caption

The [Tomb](https://www.worldhistory.org/tomb/) of the Lion of Kuza (Qasr al-Farid) is a 1st-century CE [Nabatean](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Nabatea/) unfinished tomb carved into a single huge rock in Hegra (Madain Saleh) in Saudi [Arabia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Arabia/), the [Kingdom of Nabatea](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Nabatea/)'s second capital after Petra. Qasr al-Farid is isolated from the rest of the tombs, lying in the southeastern part of Hegra. It is the largest tomb, with a height of about 22 metres (72 ft), and is the one with four large pilasters decorating the façade. The inscription above the entrance says: "... for Lihyan son of Kuza (and) his descendants...".

Hegra was the southernmost capital of the Nabatean people, a once-nomadic Arabian tribe that settled and grew wealthy from [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) in frankincense, spices and other luxury commodities. The Nabatean [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) peaked between about 50 BCE and 106 CE. Hegra is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

## About the Author

Carole maintains the popular ancient history photo-blog Following Hadrian, where she travels the ancient world in the footsteps of Emperor Hadrian.
- [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/FollowingHadrian)
- [X/Twitter Profile](https://twitter.com/carolemadge)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Raddato, C. (2024, February 21). Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/>
### Chicago
Raddato, Carole. "Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 21, 2024. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/>.
### MLA
Raddato, Carole. "Tomb of the Lion of Kuza, Hegra." *World History Encyclopedia*, 21 Feb 2024, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18501/tomb-of-the-lion-of-kuza-hegra/>.

## License & Copyright

[![copyright source](/images/partners/white-flickr.png)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/53535088644/)This image was first published on [Flickr](http://www.flickr.com). [Original image](https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/53535088644/) by **[Carole Raddato](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/FollowingHadrian/ "User Page: Carole Raddato")**. Submitted by [Carole Raddato](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/FollowingHadrian/ "User Page: Carole Raddato"), published on 21 February 2024. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.